2 arrested for allegedly stealing truck, selling it later

Police have arrested two persons who allegedly pretended to be truck buyers, stole the vehicle, and subsequently sold it to another person.

The truck owner, threatened with bodily harm by the suspects, was forced to jump from a car at a traffic light intersection in Sadog Tasi, police said. He later reported the matter to authorities.

Jack Ichiro Sablan, 25, was served with an arrest warrant in Tanapag on Tuesday. His alleged accomplice, Gina A. Aldan, 35, was arrested in Koblerville yesterday.

Sablan and Aldan were to be taken to the Superior Court yesterday for their initial court appearance on charges of robbery, theft by deception, conspiracy, and theft of vehicle. Bail was initially set at $5,000 cash each.

Detective Jeffrey I. Norita stated in his report that the truck owner went to the Department of Public Safety’s front desk on June 24, 2011, to report the incident.

Earlier that day at 4pm, Norita said, the owner was in the process of selling his 1992 4X4 pickup truck to Aldan and Sablan for $5,000.

The owner granted Sablan’s request to test-drive the truck, while the owner and Aldan was finalizing payment and documentation.

In the course of collecting payment, the owner realized that Aldan never meant to pay him, and claimed that Aldan threatened that she and Sablan would beat him up if he keeps asking for payment.

According to the victim’s statement to police, he received a call on June 24, 2011, from Aldan who said she was interested in buying the truck, at the time on display in the open field along Beach Road in Chalan Kanoa near the Mount Carmel Cathedral.

The car owner and Aldan met at a bank and they were joined by Sablan, who arrived aboard a sedan. Sablan asked to test-drive the truck so the owner handed him the truck’s keys. Sablan drove off with the truck, leaving the sedan for the victim and Aldan.

Aldan then told the owner that they needed to see Sablan’s father in Tanapag before she would turn over the money. Upon arriving in Tanapag, Aldan insisted that the victim hand her the bill of sale so she could show it to Sablan’s father. The owner refused but Aldan allegedly grabbed the document from him and took it inside the house.

Moments later, Aldan came back and insisted that victim sign the bill of sale, which he reluctantly did. Aldan and the truck owner then left for the bank.

As they were heading south, Aldan allegedly began coming up with excuses to deviate from going to the bank, at one point telling the owner to get out of the car. The owner refused and begged Aldan pay him. Aldan got angry and allegedly threatened that she and her boyfriend, Sablan, would beat him up if he continues asking for payment.

The owner jumped out of the vehicle as they approached the Sadog Tasi traffic light intersection and ran away. He later reported the matter to the police.

In his interview with police, Sablan claimed that Aldan bought him the truck as a gift and that he gave the truck to his cousin, John C. Sablan, to borrow. Sablan claimed witnessing Aldan give the owner an envelope that contained $5,000 as payment for the truck.

Norita and another detective then interviewed John Sablan at his residence on June 30 and learned that Sablan and Aldan sold him the truck for $1,500 on June 27—three days after they took the truck from the owner.

John Sablan said that Aldan and Sablan came to his residence to sell the truck and that he trusted Sablan because they are first cousins.