2 firms offer $10K for info

Two companies are offering cash rewards to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the one responsible for the brutal death of Emerita “Emie” R. Romero, the Godfather’s bartender who went missing on Sunday and whose body is believed to be the one found at the abandoned La Fiesta Mall on Tuesday.

Bridge Capital LLC, an international investment banking and asset management company headquartered on Saipan, announced yesterday that it is offering a $5,000 reward on top of the $1,000 that Crime Stoppers will provide for any information leading to an arrest.

“Our hope is that by providing some financial incentive to come forward and give information, the perpetrators will be caught and convicted more quickly,” legal counsel Daniel Stafford said in a phone interview.

The Crime Stoppers hotline is (670) 234-7272. Anyone with information may also visit the website www.nmicrimestoppers.com.

Stafford said that Bridge Capital chief executive officer and managing member John K. Baldwin made the decision Wednesday to offer the cash reward as a means to immediately solve Romero’s death which is “a horrible event is so many respects.”

“Several of our staff members who knew Emie from her work at Godfather’s were deeply saddened by what happened,” Stafford told Saipan Tribune. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we’ll do whatever we can to help.”

Pacific Amusement, Inc., which owns many coin-operated entertainment amusement equipment, also offered a $5,000 reward yesterday.

“We need to get this terrible guy off the street,” said general manager Jim Gebhard, adding that Godfather’s employees are “good friends” of their company.

Pacific Amusement and Bridge Capital separately expressed hope that the cash reward would play a part in getting those people with information to come out and work with the authorities to give justice to Romero, 37.

Both are optimistic that the perpetrator will be found, despite the cash rewards not being able to entice community members with information on the disappearance of the Luhk sisters who disappeared last year.

“Just because we haven’t had success with that particular case doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop trying,” said Stafford.

Gebhard added, “We just hope we get this guy. And we will as a community.”

Lt. Gov. Eloy Inos Inos expressed “sincere condolences” yesterday to the family of Romero and assured that the administration would see to it that justice will be served in this case.

“This shouldn’t have happened,” he said, as he called on the public to be more vigilant and help in any way they can to help law enforcement agencies in preventing and solving crimes.

Frank Camacho of the Saipan Neighborhood Watch, a guest speaker at the Chamber of Commerce meeting, talked about what individual community members could do to help curb crimes, including reporting any suspicious activity to authorities and “getting to know your neighbors.”

“Make your neighborhood livable,” he added. (With Haidee V. Eugenio)