SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Wednesday found Vicente S. Basa, 69, guilty of theft for stealing two cases of beer from Twins Supermarket in Dandan.
Judge Camacho, who presided over a bench trial, also found that Basa, a repeat offender, violated his probation, which required him not to possess or consume alcohol, and to obey all laws.
For probation violation, Judge Camacho sentenced Basa to 20 days in prison to be served immediately.
For the theft charge, Judge Camacho scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 30, 2022 at 10 a.m.
The judge’s order noted that on March 27, 2021, after drinking with friends and then running out of beer, Basa went to Twins Supermarket in Dandan.
Basa entered the supermarket, took two cases of beer and walked out without paying for it. The theft was caught on the store’s security camera.
A store supervisor chased Basa and told him he must pay for the beer. Basa claimed that he already paid for the beer. He then quickly threw the cases of beer into the car and got into the vehicle.
The court said it “makes a reasonable inference based on the video of the store parking lot — that Basa already knew he did not have any money; the driver of the car, Felix Castro, did not park the car in the normal fashion but rather [it was] waiting with the engine on and facing the car in such a way as to make a quick getaway.”
Moreover, Basa had already “opened and consumed a portion of a beer can when their vehicle was stopped a few minutes later in Fina Sisu by police officers.”
Basa “admitted to taking the beer and he did not have any money on hand, even asking the police officer if they could take him home to get some money to pay for the beer. Basa again admitted to taking the beer after he was read his constitutional rights,” the judge said.
Basa was represented by Assistant Public Defender Vina Seelam, while Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas appeared for the government.
Basa was arrested in August 2020 after he tried to run over a man with a car and repeatedly rammed a parked vehicle in Kagman.
In October 2020, after he pled guilty to theft of vehicle, Basa was sentenced to one year imprisonment all but 90 days suspended.
In that case, Judge Camacho gave Basa credit for 59 days of time already served.
But the judgment and commitment order also stated that the suspended sentence may be imposed in whole or in part for violation of law or Adult Probation Office rules.
Basa’s prior convictions included assault and disturbing the peace.
Vicente S. Basa
