Car overturns in 40-minute car chase

An ex-convict engaged police officers in a 40-minute car chase Friday night that ended when the car hit an embankment and overturned in Koblerville.

The incident went viral after a bystander took a video of a police officer hitting the suspect, Vincent San Nicolas Norita, repeatedly as he lay on the ground.

Police said that Norita’s car, a white 2011 Toyota Yaris four-door sedan with license plate ADZ-841, was speeding and nearly hit several pedestrians during the pursuit.

Norita, 31, walked on crutches when taken before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho yesterday for a bail hearing on charges of theft of a vehicle, causing accidents, reckless driving, eluding a police officer, and receiving stolen items.

Camacho imposed a $50,000 cash bail on Norita; preliminary hearing is on Dec. 22 at 9am. Chief Public Defender Douglas Hartig will represent Norita.

A bystander’s video showing a police officer repeatedly hitting with a baton a person on the ground beside the overturned car immediately went viral on social media. Some officers were also seen rushing to the scene.

Norita’s passenger, Joe E. Ada, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Jason Tarkong said the matter is now being investigated by both the Department of Public Safety Internal Affairs Unit and the Office of the Attorney General Investigation Division.

“AGID is the lead agency in this ongoing investigation,” Tarkong said.

Tarkong said police investigation showed that on Friday at 10:15pm, a DPS police officer saw Norita’s car travelling at a high speed on the outer northbound lane of Beach Road near the Saipan Mayor’s Office in Chalan Laulau.

The officer followed the car, which continued speeding up to 60 miles an hour on Beach Road, passing three cars on the right shoulder near Horiguchi Building and failing to yield to police car sirens and emergency lights.

Once it reached Garapan, the car continued speeding, weaving in and out of the village and tourist hotel streets. Some pedestrians were nearly hit.

Norita then drove the car north on Chalan Pale Arnold Road (Middle Road), speeding up to 100 miles an hour, passing the former branch of Bank of Hawaii in Puerto Rico and going north toward the Sadog Tasi sharp curve.

Police pursued the car, which proceeded to Tanapag Village, then back to Chalan Pale Arnold Road, and back south on Chalan Pale Arnold Road. The car allegedly made several unsafe lane changes, almost causing vehicular accidents and nearly hitting pedestrians, according to police.

The car then made a left turn from Chalan Pale Arnold Road onto Isa Drive, continued east up As Terlaje Hill, then made a right turn south on Martinez Road, and a right turn west on Tun Joaquin Road in Finasisu.

The car drove recklessly in and out of village streets in Chalan Kanoa to avoid pursuing police cars, police said.

The car then drove back to the hill, proceeded east on Tun Joaquin Doi Road and went south to Koblerville, where it lost control, hit an embankment and overturned near the old airport runway east of Hannam Market.

Police arrested Norita and Ada at the scene at 10:57pm. The police report did not mention how many police cars and officers were involved in the chase. The report also did not indicate if Norita and Ada were injured.

Traffic investigator Norris Kwon stated in his report that last Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 8:06am, he and other police officers responded to a crash incident along As Perdido Road by the intersection to Dr. Torres Drive in Chalan Kanoa.

Kwon said he learned that a vehicle with license plate AEC 911 fled the scene after hitting a pickup truck with license plate ABP 795.

That same day, a witness directed Kwon to the location of the car with license plate AEC 911 which had been abandoned. Its driver side window was wide open, the doors unsecured, and the key was still in the ignition.

The car, with license plate AEC 911, was found to have been stolen from Lei Rent A Car last Dec. 2. Inside the car, Kwon found two original license plate number ACR 746 for that vehicle, based on the vehicle identification number.

Kwon said he found a U.S. passport, Saipan Mayor’s Office’s identification, CNMI birth certificate, Bank of Hawaii savings book, and a Bank of Guam Visa debit card, which all belong to Norita.

Kwon also found inside the car more license plates and a 1996 Lexus owner’s manual and other documents for a car with license plate ACP 538. The car’s registered owner is July B. Magat. The items were reported stolen last Oct. 31.

Kwon also found inside the car a front license plate bracket, owner’s manual bag, jack, and tool belonging to a Ford Econoline 15-passenger van.

Kwon said Jeju Airlines Lounge filed a theft of vehicle complaint last Dec. 1 after their Ford Econoline van bearing license plate ACL 654 was stolen.

The investigator said he found inside the car a Bank of America Visa credit card, a Bank of Hawaii ATM card, and a Bank of Hawaii American Express credit card belonging to Tom Schweiger.

Schweiger filed a burglary and theft complaint with DPS last Nov. 30 at his residence.

Kwon said that on that same day, Dec. 6, a confidential informant disclosed that Norita was in possession of a white Toyota Yaris with license plate AEC 911 that struck the pickup truck on As Perdido Road.

The confidential informant also revealed that Norita was hiding a stolen white long van in his farm lot by Flame Tree Road.

Armed with a search warrant, Kwon and detectives searched Norita’s farm that afternoon of Dec. 6 and located the stolen Ford Econoline.

Kwon said they observed that another license plate, BUS 1295, was attached to the rear of the stolen Ford Econoline.

Kwon said that morning, another victim came to DPS and filed a complaint of theft of license plate BUS 1295.

Inside the van, police recovered a sweatshirt belonging to Norita and tools such as multiple bolt cutters, hydraulic jack, multiple car keys, and door keys.