4 hitchhikers turned alleged robbers

Police arrested Friday night four persons who allegedly entered a man’s car, sprayed mace on him, and took his vehicle at the old airport runway in As Gonno.

Jeremiah P. Seman, 22; Brian T. Romolor, 25; Carrington S. Teregeyo, 19; and Semi Simer Borja, 18; were apprehended on charges of robbery, theft, and assault and battery.

Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja imposed a $30,000 cash bail on each defendant during yesterday’s hearing. Preliminary hearing was set for April 27.

A detective stated in court papers that on April 11, 2006, just before midnight, the victim, Hong Fang, was at the Mobil gas station in Chalan Piao when one of the suspects approached him and asked to be dropped at the Dandan Homestead.

While Fang was talking with the suspect, three other men, later identified as the co-defendants, boarded his car without permission.

The victim was then asked to proceed to As Gonno. When they reached a dark area at the old runway, the passenger on the front seat suddenly pulled the gear to neutral and the handbrake.

The passenger then allegedly sprayed mace on Fang’s face, prompting the victim to jump out of the car and run toward the jungle.

The victim said he noticed that someone tried to chase him but when he fell to the ground he did not move.

Fang said the car later sped off, but he remained in the jungle for a few hours as he tried to recover his vision. He called a friend and later reported the matter to the police.

The following day, the detective said he met with a witness who identified Seman as one of the suspects.

At 3:15pm that day, the detective received information that the stolen car was spotted near Celis Store in Gualo Rai. Police found that two women were using the victim’s car. The two said they just borrowed the vehicle from defendant Romolor.

All four hubcaps of the car were missing, police said.

That same afternoon, the detective talked with Seman, who allegedly identified defendants Romolor, Teregeyo, and Borja as his companions.

Seman allegedly confessed that prior to the incident, they were drinking beer at an abandoned house in Koblerville, then walked to Chalan Piao where they boarded someone’s car.

Seman said they went for a ride and ended up in As Gonno.

In other news, police arrested over the weekend a 38-year-old man who allegedly burglarized a house in Laulau Bay on Oct. 26, 2005 and stole some tools.

William Lee Tracy was taken to court yesterday on charges of burglary and theft.

Naraja imposed a $6,000 cash bail on Tracy and set the preliminary hearing for April 26.

Detective Franklin DLG. Pangelinan stated in his report that he received information from a confidential informant that it was Tracy who broke into the house of Gary Evilsizer and stole two bush cutters, three saws, a drill, and saw blade.

Pangelinan said he found out that Tracy pawned some of the stolen items and kept the remaining tools at the house of his stepfather in Papago.

When the detective went to check the house on April 5, 2006, the defendant’s stepfather allegedly admitted that Tracy brought some stolen items to the house last year.

The stepfather said he instructed the defendant to return the items.