3 caught for alleged theft of $60K equipment

Three suspects in the burglary of a Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s Lower Base warehouse fell into the hands of authorities after one of their alleged cohorts surfaced and detailed the incident to police.

The resolution of the incident comes more than three months after the suspects allegedly broke into the warehouse and stole over $60,000-worth of locally and federally funded equipment.

Police investigation showed that the suspects hauled 15 cable spools, each weighing over 1,000 lbs, from the warehouse and brought it to a Chinese man at a recycling facility. Police did not indicate if the suspects sold those equipment to the unidentified Chinese or the recycling center or if the recipients masterminded the theft.

The suspects also allegedly stole other equipment from the warehouse, including a trailer, which operatives recovered from a Japanese trader in Navy Hill. The trader, Tagushi Takashi, told police that one of the suspects sold it to him.

Police identified the suspects as Francisco Reyes Santos, 48, Ryan S. Duenas, 22, and Anthony P. Santos, 27. Police did not say if the suspects are related to each other.

Over three months ago, police reported the burglary at the warehouse, which was being used by the CNMI Water Task Force, an interagency group focused on improving the water quality and supply on Saipan. Police had said the burglars cut open the wall of the warehouse so they could enter the building. Warehouse staff discovered the incident on Aug. 1 and reported the incident to police.

Police detective George Fleming David disclosed that operatives learned about the suspects’ identities after their alleged cohort, whose identity was withheld, cooperated with authorities.

The cooperating source said Francisco Santos and Duenas sold the trailer to Takashi. The informant also told police that he and the suspects threw the welding machine they stole from the warehouse off the Banzai Cliff.

Operatives of the Thief Apprehension Select Coalition and the Special Investigation Section later found parts of the welding machine at the foot of the cliff. Takashi also identified Francisco Santos as the one who sold him the trailer, police said.

Citing the statement of the informant, Det. David said the suspects loaded cable spools onto their trucks and brought them to the recycling center located behind the former Home Improvement Center, where the Chinese man was waiting for them to drive in. After leaving the equipment at the recycling center, the suspects allegedly made several trips from the warehouse to the recycling facility to deliver more cable spools.

An inventory conducted by the CUC estimated the value of the stolen equipment at $61,181, police said.

Police charged the suspects with burglary, theft, criminal trespass, unlawful removal of government property, criminal mischief, and conspiracy. Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Naraja yesterday imposed $80,000 bail on each suspect.

The judge directed the suspects not to leave Saipan and stay at least 100 yards away from the CUC warehouse, should they manage to post bail.

The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing on the case on Nov. 22 and set the suspects for arraignment on Nov. 28.