8 teens allegedly plotted robbery

Eight male teens were arrested in a robbery case in Susupe, while a man failed in an attempt to rob a woman on Monday night—both instances targeting tourists.

The eight male juveniles allegedly conspired to rob a male tourist at the Kanoa Resort beach in Susupe, while an unidentified man attempted to rob the female tourist near Garapan Elementary School.

In the Kanoa Resort beach incident, the eight juveniles were arrested and police were able to recover the victim’s wallet with its money and other contents. The victim, a 26-year-old male tourist, was not injured.

In the attempted robbery case in Garapan, the victim, a 24-year-old woman, was treated by medics for minor injuries. The suspect was not arrested.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Jason Tarkong said that police responded to a robbery case at the Kanoa Resort beach on Monday at 8:21pm. The victim was with his wife and they were watching a fisherman at the beach when one juvenile grabbed the wallet from the hand of the male victim. The suspect then ran toward Susupe Beach Park. The victim and several witnesses recognized that the suspect was seen earlier with seven other male juveniles in the beach.

Police officers later located the eight juveniles near the Sister Remedios pre-school in Chalan Kanoa. The descriptions of the eight juveniles matched the descriptions of the eight juveniles seen earlier at Kanoa Resort beach area.

Tarkong said the victim positively identified the juveniles as the same persons at the beach.

Tarkong said the juveniles confessed that they conspired to rob the tourist.

Tarkong said four approached the victim, while the other others acted as lookouts.

He said one suspect admitted to throwing the wallet away after taking its contents.

The eight juveniles were taken into custody.

In the Garapan case, Tarkong said police met with the victim on Monday at 9pm near Garapan Elementary School.

The victim told police that she and her female friend were walking east by the 3 JM Fruit and Vegetable Market across Garapan Elementary School, when the victim felt someone try to pull her purse off her shoulder. She held on to her purse, causing her to be dragged several feet by the suspect. The suspect later released the victim, then ran away. A witness saw the suspect run south on Put Tainobiu Street and enter a tinted dark-colored car.

The suspect drove south on Puti Tainobiu Street. He was described as a male, with short hair, dark skin, shirtless, and had on a pair of khaki short pants.

Tarkong said the CNMI Crime Stoppers Program is seeking the public’s help for information about the suspect.

Last week, koban police arrested two suspected burglars and two other robbers in separate incidents in Garapan.