TV news, camera help identify burglary suspect

Witnesses, TV news, and surveillance camera helped investigators identify Derik C. Reyes as the suspect in the burglary at the U.S. Army Reserve Center’s troop store in Puerto Rico, Saipan, according to court documents.

The 31-year-old Reyes, who surrendered to the Department of Public Safety on Sunday, was taken to the Superior Court yesterday morning for his initial appearance. His bail was kept at $11,250 cash as the court had earlier imposed.

Preliminary hearing will be on June 20 at 9am. He will be arraigned on June 25 at 9am.

Police began hunting Reyes shortly after Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday, June 4, on charges of burglary, theft, and criminal mischief.

The U.S. Army Reserve Center’s Army Air Force Exchange Store was burglarized on May 30 and the suspect was caught on surveillance camera. Stolen were a 32-inch Panasonic LCD flat screen TV, two computer monitors, and two Bose sound dock portable systems, all estimated to cost over $1,500.

Later that same day, May 30, police detective Jeffrey I. Norita received a call from a police officer, who said that a witness in the case had surfaced. The witness claimed seeing Reyes in Dandan at 5:20pm that day, driving a Nissan Altima with his brother as passenger.

Reyes allegedly asked the witness if he wants to buy a flat screen TV for only $200. The witness refused, believing the item to be stolen.

The witness claimed that he saw inside Reyes’ car four boxes in the back seat, including two that have a picture of a flat screen TV and a sound system.

When the brothers left, the witness noticed that his cell phone was missing and suspected Reyes’ brother of stealing it as he had seen the man get into his car as he (witness) was talking to Reyes.

Norita said that he and another detective went to the troop store on May 31 and reviewed the videotape footage of the burglary. Norita said he identified Reyes as the person in the footage. Norita and Reyes both used to work for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

On June 1, police officer Jason Tarkong received a call from a concerned citizen, who claimed to have in his possession one of the stolen items. The concerned citizen identified the suspect as Reyes.

Later that morning, Norita and a detective met the concerned citizen, who revealed that Reyes was trying to sell him speakers. The concerned citizen’s friend subsequently bought the speakers for $70.

The concerned citizen, however, was surprised that night when he watched the TV news about the burglary at the troop store. After watching the news, the concerned citizen proceeded to Garapan where he met with the buyer and informed him that the Bose sound dock system was among those reported stolen at the troop store.

The concerned citizen then contacted Tarkong and informed him that he will surrender the item.