Notorious burglar arrested anew

Ex-convict Roland Hernandez Muña was arrested for allegedly burglarizing several cars at Stanford Resort Hotel in San Vicente and was found in possession of methamphetamine when caught after a car chase with police officers early Wednesday morning.

Muña, 26, was arrested for burglary, theft, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, and eluding a police officer.

Police are still investigating whether Muña, a notorious burglar, is behind the series of burglary incidents involving parked cars on Saipan.

Muña’s bail was set at $20,000 cash yesterday. Preliminary hearing will be on June 3 at 9am.

Assistant public defender Matthew Meyer was appointed as counsel for Muña.

Police detective Catherine B. Pangelinan stated in her report that a man called the Department of Public Safety’s emergency line on Wednesday at 1:41am about a burglary and theft in progress on vehicles in the parking lot of Stanford Hotel.

After a few minutes, the caller called back to say that the same suspect took a box from one of the parked cars and put it inside a 2015 silver Toyota Corolla.

Police Sgt. Edward Ayuyu was in San Vicente and was approaching Isa Drive when he saw a silver Toyota Corolla with no lights on driving recklessly, heading north along Isa Drive near the former Nang Ocha Apartment leading down from Stanford Hotel.

Ayuyu activated his emergency lights and chased the car. Muña refused to stop and made a sudden right turn east into Nativo Drive that leads into a residential area.

The car ran over a low plastic type fence with planted flowers near a house and then came to a stop at a residence.

Ayuyu saw a man get down from the driver’s side, leaving the car engine on and the driver’s door wide open. The man ran while taking off his shirt.

At 1:53am, two other police officers searching the area spotted the man, later identified as Muña, at a residence.

At 2:13am, the caller was escorted to the area and he positively identified Muña as the person who burglarized the cars at Stanford Hotel.

During a patdown, a police officer allegedly recovered a clear bag containing a crystal substance in Muña’s right front pocket. The substance later tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, according to Pangelinan.

Inside the silver Toyota Corolla with license plate AEK 641, police found several handbags and purses, two set of golf clubs, two large boxes, kids’ books, a glass tube, several business cards, and other items. The car is registered to Blue Sky International. It was impounded for inventory.

The owners of four vehicles that were damaged and burglarized went to the police station and positively identified their items that were recovered inside the silver Toyota Corolla.

Only in July last year, police officers tried to arrest Muña for burglary, leading to a high-speed car chase that ended with him crashing his car into a chicken coop and running into the jungle. Police finally succeeded in arresting him on July 10, 2014.

In that case, Muña was accused of burglarizing Pretty Tour Car Rental in Garapan and stealing an FJ Cruiser, a 31-inch flat screen television, cellphone, and several other items.

The Office of the Attorney General later dropped the case as the government was further investigating the case. Muña was seen laughing and smiling as he walked out of the courtroom.