Police bust alleged copper wire theft gang

Police arrested Friday a man allegedly responsible for stealing copper wire from houses in Dandan and Kagman.

Shabbo C. Sablan, 20, was served with a warrant of arrest in Dandan for criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit theft.

Sablan’s alleged companions—Tara Marie Namauleg and Bradley C. Palacios—were tagged as Sablan’s potential co-defendants and were brought last Wednesday to the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Bureau.

A $10,000 cash bail was initially imposed for Sablan’s temporary liberty.

In yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo set the preliminary hearing for 9am on Aug. 6, 2008.

Govendo appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Sablan in the case. Assistant Public Defender Janet King appeared in court to represent the defendant.

Detective George Fleming David stated in his report that an anonymous caller informed a police sergeant that Sablan and two other persons were responsible for stealing copper wire (electrical power drop-lines) from houses in Dandan and Kagman.

The informant disclosed that the group operates between 12am and sunrise out of a fully tinted Toyota Yaris.

David disclosed that a team of detectives was assembled last Tuesday to saturate Dandan and Kagman and conduct surveillance on the car.

David said the first team of detectives spotted the Toyota Yaris in upper Dandan heading north on the main road toward San Vicente Wednesday at 12:45am.

The detectives followed the car, which then parked at a poker arcade near Hi-Mart. The car later proceeded to Papago and the Kagman Mobil Gas Station.

The detectives later found that Namauleg was alone in the car.

As the other detectives swept the Kagman area, they spotted Palacios hiding in a small grassy patch along a secondary road.

The detectives chased Palacios, who ran toward a house and into the grassy field area where he then attempted to hide. David said he then apprehended Palacios.

At that time, the surveillance squad noticed that the suspect car had left the Kagman Mobil Station and was heading toward Palacios’ hiding spot.

David said Palacios and Namauleg had identified Sablan as being involved with them but that he managed to run when the detectives arrived.

Palacios told police that Sablan had arranged the copper wire theft from the newly constructed house owned by Rudy Babauta.

Sablan allegedly pried open the meter box before he fled.

David said the total damage by to the cut copper wire and the weather head meter box was over $250.