Anthony Macaranas
DEPARTMENT of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas denied that police released a tampered surveillance video implicating two gynecologists in an alleged shoplifting incident on Sept. 1, 2025.
In an interview Friday, Macaranas said DPS has a policy prohibiting employees from releasing surveillance footage without his consent or that of the Attorney General’s Office.
“Everything that goes out in the community, especially if it goes viral, is often shared on social media by the public. Once it’s posted, it’s out of my hands,” Macaranas said. “As far as my department, we have a policy that prohibits any employee from releasing videos or surveillance footage without the consent of either myself or the AG’s office.”
The two doctors, Geoffrey Fraiche and Laura Webb, both employed by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, are represented by attorney Janet King.
King wrote to AG Edward Manibusan and the DPS commissioner regarding the alleged “leak” of surveillance footage from ABC Store in Garapan.
“Right now, I have consulted with the AG regarding the email from attorney Janet King that came to my attention about the viral video,” Macaranas added. “The AG will be meeting with her.”
The viral video, which surfaced Wednesday, appeared to show a shoplifting incident involving the two doctors. An ABC Store Saipan staffer confirmed to Variety that the incident occurred on Sept. 1 and said a complaint had been filed with DPS. The staffer declined further comment due to the pending complaint.
The footage showed a woman in a blue dress appearing to place an item in her bag, accompanied by a man identified as her husband.
In a statement issued Friday morning, King said: “This incident at ABC Store happened on September 1. My office investigated the case and interviewed Mr. Ray Borja, the ABC Store manager, on September 3. He explained that when he called DPS, he only asked that officers contact Dr. Webb so the item could be returned because he believed it had been taken by mistake. The item was returned to ABC the same day, and Mr. Borja even remarked that it was a mistake.”
She added: “The harm from this is that a video in DPS custody was tampered with, edited to suggest intentional wrongdoing, and then leaked to the public. That leak never should have happened. Furthermore, the harm has been immediate and significant. This incident is a reminder that reputations are fragile. If businesses release edited surveillance footage that suggests guilt, would you feel safe shopping there? And if law enforcement mishandles surveillance in its custody, how can the public maintain confidence?”
“There must be accountability,” King said. “A finding of misconduct and a formal internal investigation are necessary. Otherwise, this could happen to anyone, including you or me.”
DPS issued a statement saying: “If the two doctors and their attorney have evidence that DPS or an officer released the video, they should provide it to the Commissioner’s Office to launch an internal investigation.”
