DPS on hunt for individuals who robbed man at gunpoint

The Department of Public Safety is currently on the hunt for three people who robbed a man at gunpoint at a San Antonio beach last Sunday. This comes as the department is also on high alert after a string of robberies over the weekend.

DPS assistant chief of police and acting spokesperson Simon T. Manacop said DPS responded to a string of robberies in different villages—San Antonio, Garapan, and Capital Hill—over the weekend. It was the San Antonio robbery where a man was held at gunpoint.

Manacop said police received a call at around 8:48pm on Sunday, Oct. 15, about a robbery at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan in San Antonio.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the male victim was robbed at gunpoint while parked at the San Antonio Beach side behind the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School.

In an interview with the victim, he claimed that a woman known to him had called him earlier that evening, asking him to buy cellphone load for her. The victim agreed to purchase the load and met the woman at the parking lot of PIC to give it to her.

Later, as the victim and the woman were parked at San Antonio Beach, she allegedly demanded money from him, to which the victim claimed he did not have.

A few minutes later, the victim said a car parked behind his car and a male and female exited and approached him on the driver side demanding money from him.

However, when the victim told them that he did not have money, the male suspect allegedly pointed a handgun at the victim’s head and again demanded for money.

The victim then took out his wallet, which the female suspect grabbed. At the same time, the female who was inside the victim’s vehicle with the victim grabbed the victim’s Samsung Galaxy cellphone and the key to his car. She then exited the car and got into the suspects’ car, described as a dark colored SUV. All three fled the scene.

The victim told police he was later able to start his car and drove to PIC where he reported the incident.

Although the victim was unharmed, the suspects were able to steal his wallet containing $300, his CNMI driver’s license, a Discover credit card, and a Bank of Hawaii debit card.

No arrests have been made in this incident and DPS is asking the community’s assistance in closing the case.

“If anyone has information about this incident, they may call the DPS Criminal Investigation Divisionat 670-664-9042, DPS headquarters at 670-664-9001 or the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 670-234-7272 if they wish to remain anonymous. DPS also encourages the public to call the emergency line ‘911’ to report a crime or emergency,” Manacop said.

DPS is also asking the community for help in closing two other robbery cases—the robbery case at the Pacific Postal Plus in Garapan and a break-in at a residence on Capital Hill involving two men.

The two men allegedly broke into the Capital Hill residence in the early hours of Oct. 15 where an 84-year-old man was sleeping. The two men, described as masked men, allegedly held the elderly man at knifepoint and rummaged his house and were able to steal about $650 and some personal items.