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DPS creates 2 teams to find Li
Police, Chinese search group still fail to locate missing businessman
With police and Chinese search groups failing to locate missing Saipan Fresh Market owner Zhi Yuan Li yesterday, the Department of Public Safety has created two teams that will search for the businessman round-the-clock.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero disclosed in an interview yesterday that a team of investigators has been assigned to work on Li’s case at night.
A bigger team of investigators is assigned during daytime, he said.
“This is pretty much an ongoing 24-hour operation since the incident occurred,” he said.
Li, 43, was reportedly last seen on Saturday at 11am seeing a friend at a tire shop in Puerto Rico. Li’s family reported his disappearance to DPS on Saturday at 7:56pm.
A patrol officer found Li’s white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck abandoned on a dirt road between Ladder Beach and Obyan Beach on Sunday at 8am.
Deleon Guerrero said yesterday that whenever a lead comes in on Li’s whereabouts, they have a readily available set of officers to deploy and investigate the matter.
Deleon Guerrero also disclosed that they are in constant communication with Li’s immediate family.
“The reality of the situation is we do keep the family updated,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero encouraged members of the community to share whatever information they have on Li’s whereabouts.
“We are taking everything and anything seriously,” he said.
The commissioner said they are now racing against time to find Li as the longer this drags on, the more dangerous it becomes for the store owner.
Deleon Guerrero stated that he is not implying that “something” happened to Li, but that they do have to take that as a possibility at this point.
“I am hopeful that we are going to be able to find Li in good health so he can be reunited with his family,” he added.
Li has two daughters—ages 13 and 23—on Saipan.
