A lesson from the past

Responding to an emergency call early dawn of November 29, 1997, police officer Jose Cepeda thought it was a false alarm. While his partner scanned Wendy’s immediate surroundings, he proceeded to go inside the establishment all by himself. Then it happened so quickly, he saw a crow bar and wondered if he could walk again.

“Now, I can learn from my mistakes,” he told Saipan Tribune. The mistake almost took his “normal” life, inflicted pain to his family and brought anger to his colleagues.

After he was hit by the crowbar, he felt he couldn’t lift a finger. Before the day was over, he was rushed to Hawaii and spent two weeks at the Intensive Care Unit.

During the flight to Honolulu, he was in and out of consciousness. Masses were heard to pray for his speedy recovery. His own prayer was for him to walk again.

“I was scared that I may not be able to walk for the rest of my life. I cannot move my left arm and leg,” he said.

After ICU, he spent another two weeks at the Rehabilitation Center of the Pacific and started his preparation for normal life.

He was still limping when he arrived on Saipan on Christmas eve and continued his therapy at the Commonwealth Health Center. By March, he went back to work.

His successful fight to return to normalcy was considered by many as a miracle.

His attending physician at CHC said during a trial that Cepeda was a lucky guy. When he was rushed to the hospital, he had an injury right on top of the section of his brain which controls the motor function.

“The doctor told me that I had a good memory,” he said. While at the ICU, he had a recurring recollection of what happened at Wendy’s, but he was spared to remember his aggressor.

“I’m not sure who did it. I only saw the crowbar,” he said.

After a jury trial, the government failed to deliver him justice. The court only heard circumstantial evidences.

Although nobody answered to the crime, Cepeda went on with his daily routine free of rancor and hatred.

“One good thing about the incident is that I can only remember the crowbar,” he said.

It would have helped the court prosecute the guilty party if he caught a glimpse of his aggressor. But his missing the opportunity to identify him facilitated his own personal battle to go back to normal.

He received a letter of apology from one of the convicted parties, but it never occurred to him that he should confront them.

With his growing three boys – Albert, Henry and Jessie James – he doesn’t rule out the possibility that one of them will follow his act. He remembered his own admiration of his father, who was also a cop. But he would be quick to tell aspirants to think twice before joining the police.

Today, he continues his routine at the Criminal Investigation office.

“This is my job and I enjoy it,” as he answers to emergency calls on crimes against individuals.