Probable cause found in Villagomez case

The Superior Court has found probable cause to try a man accused of stealing close to $6,000 worth of equipment and machinery at a construction site last June 10, 2024.

The ruling was made during the preliminary hearing of 28-year-old Travis G. Villagomez last Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Villagomez is currently facing a count of theft and another count of burglary, including an imposed $10,000 cash bail. He appeared before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Wednesday under the custody of the Department of Corrections, and was joined for the hearing by his counsel, assistant public defender Charlene Brown. Assistant attorney general Heather P. Barcinas represented the government.

At the preliminary hearing, the government brought a witness to testify in the matter, and based on the matters presented during the hearing, including the witness’ testimony, the court found probable cause to believe Villagomez may have committed the crimes, and confirmed a scheduled arraignment hearing on July 1, 2024 at 9am before Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja. Villagomez was then remanded back to the Department of Corrections.

According to court documents on Monday June 10, 2024 at 7:28 AM, officers from the Department of Public Safety to dispatched to a reported burglary and theft incident at Yuman Construction site, along Tun Kioshi Road, a site close by to the former Labor and Immigration detention center.

At 7:39am, an officer arrived on the scene and met with the site supervisor. The supervisor reported that a shipping container had been broken into and multiple construction tools and equipment were stolen from the inside. Items such as the battery, torque convertor, and radiator from Hitachi excavators and Caterpillar bulldozers were reported stolen, along three Mikasa Compactors worth $2,500, a Champion generator valued at $800, a Crocodile Jack worth $70, seven vehicle batteries valued at $100 each, one power Sterring pump for the dump truck valued at $500, three small rolls of copper wires worth $250. each, one welding machine valued at $250, and five containers of ZIC hydraulic fluid valued at $60.

Close to three hours later, an officer reported that the owner of Yuman Construction, recovered their stolen property at Triple Star Recycling. Officers responded to Triple Star Recycling Center, where they saw several rolls of wires, vehicle radiator, small parts for heavy equipment and vehicle mufflers were on top of a large scale.

According to reports the owner of Yuman Construction claimed the items being sold at the recycling center had belonged to him, and that it had been the ones stolen from inside the shipping container.

He stated that earlier he spotted a suspicious looking silver Toyota Rav-4 pick up a male by the road across his construction site, when he noticed the male individual holding a white bucket containing white rolled wires, he followed the car to the Triple Star Recycling Center.

At 2:20pm, an officer reviewed the surveillance footage procured at Triple Star Recycling Center. The officer saw Villagomez get down from the right rear passenger side of the silver Toyota Rav-4, holding a bucket containing rolls of wires, and parts of heavy equipment, selling it to the recycling center for $49. The victim confirmed the face of the person on the surveillance is the same person he had followed earlier.

The next morning, officers learned that the silver Toyota Rav-4 had been registered to B.F. Rent a Car and was rented out to a client and later borrowed from the client to a friend of Villagomez.

Officers met with the individuals who borrowed the car, and according to them, Villagomez had asked them to give him a

ride and they did. Villagomez rode in the back right passenger seat. According to reports taken by the officers, the witness then said that Villagomez had asked to be dropped near the site of the crime and was later picked up holding a bucket containing tools and wires.

The witness led officers to the Triple Star Recycling Center located in As Perdido and said that was where Villagomez sold the stuff inside the white bucket.

The witness also led the officer to the compound belonging to Fritz Pacific, just east of Chalan Kanoa head start. The witness pointed out a white bucket outside the barracks and said they dropped Villagomez there with the bucket containing tools. The witness also pointed at two brown doors facing south and said its where Villagomez walked into with some other tools.

Officers took pictures of the white bucket, and when showing it to the construction site owner, he confirmed it was their property.

A search warrant was signed on June 14, followed by an arrest warrant for Villagomez on June 18, 2024. (Saipan Tribune)