CUC staff arrested for allegedly burglarizing lawyer’s house

A Commonwealth Utilities Corp. line crew, who was tagged as the suspect in the burglary at a house of a lawyer, allegedly stole a CUC vehicle and ended up colliding into a police car, injuring a police officer during a high-speed chase in Papago on Thursday morning.

Daro Reyes Cabrera, 37, was arrested for burglary and theft. Additional charges are expected to be filed against him in connection with the stealing of the CUC vehicle and the car chase.

Sources said Police Officer Rudolfo Hermosilla, who served the arrest warrant on Cabrera, was injured in the left hand during the collision.

The police car sustained extensive damage and was taken to the Department of Public Safety’s impound lot in Lower Base. The CUC’s vehicle had moderate damage, sources said.

The burglary victim, attorney Bruce Berline, lost his brown Timberland Hudson commuter leather wallet worth $9.50, $150 to $300 in cash, CNMI driver’s license, blue Citi Bank credit card, an American Express Gold Delta Sky Miles credit card, a First Hawaiian Bank credit card, a Smiles card, a Shell rewards card, and a Subway card.

At a hearing on Friday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $20,000 cash bail and set the preliminary hearing for July 20 at 1:30pm.

Assistant public defender Tillman Clark was appointed as counsel for Cabrera. Assistant attorney general Betsy Weintraub appeared for the government.

Police Detective Jesus K. Wabol stated in his report that last July 3 at 9:23am, a police officer responded to a burglary incident at the house of attorney Bruce Berline in Puerto Rico.

Wabol said investigation showed that on July 3 at 7:30am, Berline was looking for his wallet, which he placed on the dining table, but was no longer there.

Upon reviewing the surveillance equipment at the house, the footage showed a man climbing in through Berline’s living room window at 6:27am and stealing the wallet from the dinner table.

The suspect then climbed back on the same window at 6:28am.

After seeing the footage, Berline went to his neighbor, who identified the person climbing the house and stealing his wallet as Cabrera.

Cabrera at that time was wearing a black T-shirt with “Ninja” clearly visible on front portion of it. He had a dark pair of long pants, along with black slippers, which he took off and tucked in between his pants and lower back. He had very short hair and sported a mustache and goatee.

Wabol said that last July 10 he and Criminal Investigation Bureau commander Detective J. Olopai went to the house of Cabrera’s mother in Upper Dandan.

Wabol said a former police officer identified the person in the footage as his half brother Cabrera.

The half brother said he already saw the same footage on the news.

Last Wednesday, Police Officer Jason Tarkong announced that police are now hunting down Cabrera in connection with the Puerto Rico burglary incident.