3 arrested for allegedly smoking ‘ice’ in car

A complaint of a stolen vehicle led to the recovery of the car and the arrest of three persons, including the car’s owner, for alleged possession and smoking methamphetamine or “ice.”

Nick Valeriano Reyes Jr., 30, was arrested in Dandan on Tuesday night for illegal possession of controlled substance.

At a hearing yesterday, Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio imposed a $25,000 cash bail.

Preliminary hearing will be on July 16 at 9am.

Assistant public defender Cindy Nesbit was appointed as counsel for Reyes.

Reyes and the victim’s daughter and a male friend were arrested last June 24 for allegedly smoking “ice.” They were subsequently released, but Reyes was arrested again on Tuesday for illegal possession of controlled substance.

Saipan Tribune opted to withhold the names of the two persons until charges are filed against them.

Police detective Rudolfo Saures Hermosilla Jr. stated in his report that police officers responded to a residence in San Antonio last June 23 after a man complained that his 2013 Toyota Yaris was stolen.

At 12:17am the following day, a patrol officer located the vehicle at the Jose Mart in San Jose and arrested Reyes who was the operator.

The officer also arrested the car’s two passengers—daughter of the vehicle’s owner and a man.

According to the officer, all occupants of the car admitted to smoking “ice” prior to them going to San Jose Mart.

The officer escorted the car to the Department of Public Safety’s impound lot for safekeeping.

Hermosilla said that, last June 26, he met with the car owner and released the car to him.

Hermosilla said before releasing the car, he observed a black pouch on the passenger seat.

The owner denied that he or her daughter owns the black pouch so Hermosilla seized it and stored it at DPS for safekeeping.

Hermosilla then conducted further investigation and learned from the two occupants of the car that the pouch belongs to Reyes and that they believed that there is “ice” and drug paraphernalia inside it.

Hermosilla said a review of a video footage from a motel, where the car owner’s daughter brought Reyes and the male friend, showed that Reyes was holding the pouch.

Hermossila said that, last Tuesday he obtained a search warrant for the pouch from Associate Judge David A. Wiseman.

He said he opened the pouch and found 0.03 gross grams of crystalline residue in Ziploc baggies, drug paraphernalia, and some items.

Hermossila said he tested the residue that came out presumptive positive of “ice.”

The car owner’s daughter told police that last June 23 at 10pm, she was driving the car along Dandan main road when Reyes and their male friend flagged her down.

She said the two asked her to drop them to a motel in Susupe. She said Reyes took out a glass pipe and burned “ice.”