Concerned citizen helped cops arrest suspected robbers

A concerned citizen who witnessed a robbery in western Garapan last Thursday midnight followed the suspects’ car, resulting in the arrest of two male ex-convicts.

Last Friday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $20,000 cash bail each on ex-convicts Angel Ruben Chipuelong and Lucky Michael Chipuelong, who allegedly conspired to rob a tourist who was walking on Palm Street.

Assistant public defender Shoshanah Epstein is counsel for Angel Chipuelong. A private counsel will be appointed for Lucky Chipuelong.

The police report did not mention if the defendants are siblings or cousins.

Preliminary hearing will be on Sept. 7 at 9am.

Chief Prosecutor Michele Harris appeared for the government at the bail hearing.

The Chipuelongs were arrested last Thursday at 1:09am on charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Police detected a strong odor of alcohol on the two when they were arrested.

Lucky Chipuelong allegedly confessed to police that they conspired to rob the woman and that it was Angel Chipuelong who grabbed her purse.

The purse had two $10 bills, a Republic of Korea passport, sunglasses, a wallet, two photo identification cards, three credit cards, a Lotte cigarette, a moisturizing cream, cosmetics, and two universal travel adaptors.

The Department of Public Safety Central received a call on Thursday at 12am about a robbery behind the Garapan fire station.

Two police officers at a nearby substation (koban) responded. A witness flagged down the police’s car and informed the officer that one suspect ran into an abandoned building west of the fire station.

While the officers were searching for the suspect, medics were summoned near the Noodle House in Garapan, where the victim was being interviewed by another police officer.

The officers checked the abandoned building, but found no one.

The victim had scratches and bruises on the right wrist, left thumb, and left leg. She refused to be taken to the hospital.

The victim told police that she and a female friend were walking west on Palm Street near Noodle House when a man they had seen walking toward them grabbed the victim’s purse. In the struggle for the purse, the suspect pushed the victim down to the ground and managed to run away

While police were interviewing the victim and her friend, DPS Central received a call from a witness who reported that he was following the suspect’s vehicle, a white Toyota Corolla with license plate ADA-255 by 99 Cents store in Garapan. A police officer followed the car and pulled it over along Chalan Pale Arnold near the NMI Museum in China Town.

The driver of the car was identified as Angel Chipuelong, while the passenger was Lucky Chipuelong.

The officers saw a white purse in the car’s rear passenger floor. Police then brought the victim to the scene, where she identified the purse and its contents as hers.

The two suspects were then arrested.

The witness told the police that he saw the snatching incident and followed the suspects’ vehicle.

Police said Lucky Chipuelong is currently under probation, while Angel Chipuelong is a convicted robber.