Former CIB chief testifies in retrial of Cepeda

A retired police captain who was the chief of the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Bureau when a businessman was murdered inside a karaoke bar in San Jose in 1999 took the witness stand yesterday in the ongoing retrial of Franklin Cabrera Cepeda Jr.

As CIB head back in 2000, former captain Delbert Sablan said that he was involved in the investigation of Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero, the first one charged in the case who was later acquitted.

Sablan said that he retired in 2001 so when investigators identified Cepeda and George Ilo as suspects in 2003, he was no longer involved in the investigation.

During questioning by defense attorney Colin Thompson, Sablan said that based on his personal experience, having lived in the San Jose area, he concluded that Deleon Guerrero was “a person of interest” in the murder of Rong Zhou.

He said his personal experience was corroborated by information he gathered from residents in the area.

Sablan said he learned that Deleon Guerrero had threatened the victim and was always borrowing money from him.

Sablan said he also saw Deleon Guerrero going upstairs leading to the Yellow House Karaoke just before the murder occurred.

During cross-examination by assistant attorney general Russell Lorfing, Sablan said he met with former detective Christopher Leon Guerrero in preparation for Cepeda’s trial. Leon Guerrero is serving as the defense’s case investigator.

Officer Cepeda testified that he was present at a photo lineup arranged by then detective Mark Taisakan. He said he served as a Mandarin translator for a Chinese witness.

Officer Cepeda said that six photos of individuals, including that of Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero, were used in the photo lineup to see if the witness could identify persons seen at the crime scene.

He said the witness identified Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero, who was number six in the lineup, as being at the crime scene.

However, during cross-examination, officer Cepeda agreed that Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero looks similar to Franklin Cepeda’s co-defendant, George Ilo. He said that Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero is very substantially similar to Ilo.

Ilo has already pleaded guilty in the case as part of a plea deal. He testified for the government and identified Franklin Cepeda as his companion when they killed Zhou, also known as Matthew, at the Yellow House on March 1, 1999.

Officer Cepeda also agreed with the prosecutor that Franklin Cepeda’s picture was not included in the photo lineup.

The OAG first charged Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero with the murder of Zhou, but he was later acquitted.

The OAG then charged Franklin Cepeda and Ilo. In January 2005, the jury found Franklin Cepeda guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 66 years in prison.

Franklin Cepeda, however, prevailed in his appeal. The CNMI Supreme Court vacated his convictions and ordered a new trial.