Tip leads to the identification of suspect in robbery at 2 poker parlors

Dwight D. Lee Aldan

A Crime Stoppers’ tip led police to identify the suspect in daylight robberies of two poker establishments on Saipan during a four-day period.

Crime Stoppers Program coordinator Jason Tarkong said yesterday that the tip led to the identification of Dwight D. Lee Aldan as the suspect in the poker machine break-in and theft at Martha’s Store poker room in Garapan and at Sun Palace Hotel’s poker room in Susupe.

Tarkong said Aldan is at large and that law enforcement officers are hunting him down.

Tarkong is seeking the public’s help in locating Aldan.

Tarkong said Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio issued an arrest warrant against Aldan on Friday and set a $5,000 cash bail.

Tarkong described Aldan as a 41-year-old Chamorro, 5’6” tall, and has a mustache and may have a short goatee.

The suspect was carrying a backpack with Under Armour brand in both incidents. Both incidents were caught by surveillance cameras.

The suspect managed to get a poker machine’s cash box containing $5,231 cash from Sun Palace Hotel’s poker room in Susupe last June 25 at noon and over $30 in coins from Martha Retail Store’s poker room in Garapan last Tuesday afternoon, June 28.

Tarkong said in the Martha’s Store case, the suspect was wearing a blue boonie/bush hat with sunglasses on top of the hat, a gray hooded type sweater, checkered blue and gray shorts, and slippers.

Tarkong said the suspect drove away in an old model white Toyota Corolla four door-sedan with tinted windows.

In the Sun Palace Hotel’s case, Saipan Tribune watched the video and observed the same suspect wearing the same boonie/bush hat, checkered shorts, and slippers, and an Under Armour backpack.

The only difference is that the suspect was wearing a gray T-shirt. Witnesses said the suspect also fled aboard a white car.

Tarkong said the theft at Martha’s Store’s poker room was discovered when employees were searching for the poker machines’ master key and could not find it.

Tarkong said the store manager reviewed the video surveillance and discovered the crime.

Tarkong said investigation showed that the suspect entered the store at 1:19pm and walked into the poker room.

The suspect approached the poker attendant’s counter and grabbed the key for the poker machines.

The suspect then opened three poker machines, but managed to get only over $30 in coins as the cash boxes in the machines were locked. He, however, caused damage worth about $500 to one machine.

Tarkong said the suspect walked out, purchased a drink from the store, and drove away aboard a white Toyota Corolla car.

In the Susupe case, Sun Palace Hotel owner Shirley Kim told Saipan Tribune that the suspect came to the poker game room at 11:34am and pretended to be a customer.

Kim said when the suspect was alone in the game room, he opened one of the machines using a tool and removed the cash box and put it in his backpack.

The suspect, who was carrying a cell phone, then left at 12:26pm.

Kim said they discovered the robbery when one customer called the front desk when he noticed that there was a problem with one machine as its wirings were out dangling.