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Murder suspect’s flee attempt foiled
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Posted on Feb 03 2005
Immigration authorities have arrested a Chinese tagged as the suspect in the J&C Poker murder case, who attempted to flee the CNMI by using a false passport.
Ying Zhao, who used a false passport bearing the name Chunjun Shao, landed in jail after the failed flight attempt last Tuesday.
In an affidavit submitted to the Superior Court, immigration inspector Erwin Flores said immigration officers intercepted Zhao at the Saipan International Airport when one of them noticed the passenger’s resemblance to the man who appeared on the surveillance camera at the J&C Poker on the day the murder occurred. A photo of the suspect had been circulated by law enforcers.
When immigration officer Jose Rebuenog asked Zhao if he was the bearer of the passport, the passenger allegedly replied: Yes, I got fatter [sic].”
Rebuenog then advised the Transportation Security Administration agents to hold the passenger back for further photo verification and identification.
Law enforcers at the airport then asked Zhao for other identification documents, including the passenger’s driver’s license. The officers then ascertained Zhao’s true identity.
Flores filed with the court a complaint against Zhao for violating immigration law. The court set a $100,000 bail against Zhao and directed him to surrender his travel documents.
A security guard was stabbed and killed during the robbery attempt at the poker establishment on Jan. 2. The suspect took off with $7,000 in cash on Sunday morning.
The victim, a 38-year-old Chinese man, died of several stab wounds and loss of blood.
Police said no one witnessed the crime, but a surveillance camera took photos of the single robber.
According to Department of Public Safety spokesman Eric David, the victim was alone at J&C Poker at the time of the robbery. No one was playing in the game room and the victim was acting both as cashier and security guard.
Footage of the crime showed that the suspect was a Chinese-Korean man standing about 5’6 to 5’8 tall. He was wearing a white hat, a white jacket, a gray polo shirt underneath the jacket, and gray pants with reflector on the seam.
This was the first homicide in the CNMI in 2005.
