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Robbers prey on tourists
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Posted on Dec 30 2011
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Robbers preying on poker arcades, stores, and individuals were very active throughout the year, but the latter part of the year saw an escalation in the number of criminals victimizing tourists.
While police made a couple of arrests, most of the cases remain unsolved up until now.
It started in October when an unidentified man, armed with a screwdriver, robbed a female Russian tourist and took off in her rented car at Suicide Cliff in Marpi. The tourist lost her bag containing over $100 cash, a digital camera worth $1,200, hotel keys, documents, and other items. The victim suffered bruises to the elbows after she fell to the ground during the struggle.
That same month, an unidentified man robbed a 51-year-old local female who was with her daughter playing golf at Coral Ocean Point.
After a week, an unidentified man robbed some tourists who were playing golf at Mariana Country Club in Marpi.
Robbers continued causing havoc in November, when a female Japanese tourist suffered multiple injuries after a man grabbed her bag as she was walking with her boyfriend along Beach Road, Garapan. The female victim tried to hang on to the window of the getaway car, causing her to be dragged several meters before falling to the ground.
After a few days, police arrested the suspect and the driver of a getaway vehicle.
While robbers were active, burglars or thieves were also busy preying on tourists at beaches in October.
A Japanese couple lost their valuables to a thief or thieves at Ladder Beach.
A few days later, a car rented by a Norwegian tourist was burglarized at Ladder Beach. The tourist left his rented car as he descended the stairs to the beach. When the tourist went back to the car, he noticed it had been burglarized and some of his valuables had been stolen.
The media failed to report other burglary and robbery cases as the Department of Public Safety did not provide information on these crimes.
