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2 suspects in armed robbery at Tinian arcade arrested
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Posted on Mar 05 2009
Tinian police arrested on Wednesday night two of three suspects in the armed robbery at a poker arcade on Tinian in 2007.
According to a police report, investigators learned that the person who called police turned out to be one of the suspects.
Herbert B. Hocog, 30, a heavy equipment operator at Tinian Department of Public Lands, was arrested for robbery, conspiracy, and disturbing the peace.
Sylvan A. Laniyo, 21, was apprehended for robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, and disturbing the peace.
It was not clear yet whether the third suspect has already been arrested.
At yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman imposed a $50,000 cash bail for Hocog and $75,000 cash bail for Laniyo.
According to Detective Melvin Monkeya, the robbery happened at Poker Club in the early morning of July 23, 2007.
Monkeya said it was Hocog, the lone “customer” at the time, who called police about the robbery.
When police officers arrived, Hocog had already left the scene.
The cashier told police that two masked men, one armed with a gun, demanded that she open the booth’s door.
After she gave them money, the two men ran out using the back door.
That same day, a detective interviewed Hocog, who claimed that he didn’t hear when the two men entered and robbed the establishment.
Hocog told the officer that he only learned about the incident when the cashier told him about the robbery.
Detective Monkeya said he and Capt. Sylvestre Palacios interviewed last Tuesday a witness who identified Hocog, Laniyo, and another person as responsible for the robbery.
Mokeya said that on Wednesday, they interviewed Laniyo, who confessed participation in the robbery.
It was the group’s plan for Hocog to first go inside the arcade and pretend to be a customer.
When all the customers had gone, Hocog, using a radio, signaled the group to come in. The group then divided the money.
