DEPARTMENT of Public Safety public information officer Dre Pangelinan said the videos circulating on social media over the weekend did not pose a threat to the community or law enforcement officers.
Department of Public Safety public information officer Dre Pangelinan conducts a press conference Monday.
“I know that there were a lot of people who got scared of the video and forwarded messages that circulated on social media,” he said. “We want to emphasize to the public to be vigilant whenever they receive [or] forward these [types of] messages because these messages can cause public panic,” Pangelinan said at a press conference on Monday afternoon at the DPS central office.
A video that circulated on social media over the weekend depicted images of weapons while another showed fugitive Ye “Batu” Fang choking another individual.
Pangelinan said DPS has looked into the videos.
“We have identified the female individual on the video, and have spoken to her,” he added. “We know who she is. The weapons in that video are accounted for and the weapons are currently registered in the CNMI. The owner of the weapons is the husband of the female individual in the video. The husband is a local male, and we have looked into that as well — all the weapons are accounted for,” Pangelinan reiterated.
“The female individual took that video two years ago and that video was not…a public threat nor was that directed at any law enforcement [officer]. The female individual was showcasing…the weapons that she [would] use to protect her and her husband because they had received a threat from Ye Fang…. We had a couple of translators translating the video and the video was basically saying that ‘this is what I have,’ and the context of the video was meant for Ye Fang,” Pangelinan added.
He said Ye Fang has been known to make threats to Chinese community members, “for them to be quiet. But we have no information regarding Ye Fang threatening anyone.”
As for the second video that shows Ye Fang choking another individual, Pangelinan said the video was taken five years ago.
“I cannot say anything about how truthful the video is — it was like role playing, but the person being choked in that video is reported to be back in China. That’s how long ago that video was taken,” he added.
Asked about a screenshot of another message stating that a Chinese individual was going to attack some establishments, Pangelinan said, “As soon as I received the message, I immediately checked with all our officers, and as of right now there’s no threat to the public…. There is no active mass shooter.”
Pangelinan said DPS is asking the public “to send us these messages as soon as they get them so that we can…fact-check…and follow up. Every video that we get, we investigate thoroughly and just like the video from last Sunday night we had to figure out where and when it originated.”
Pangelinan said this is not the first time that similar messages have circulated on social media.
“There are certain individuals…that do not like the justice system and a lot of individuals use [these messages] to scare people in the community in the hopes that law enforcement will just stay at home, but that is not the case,” he added.
Again, he said, “these videos were not recorded recently and these videos were not intended for a public threat. As of this time, there is no threat to the public. These videos have been re-circulated for reasons unknown following the arrest warrant for persons wanted for trafficking methamphetamine who include Ye ‘Batu’ Fang.”
On Nov. 16, 2022, DPS said it was seeking the public’s help in locating the whereabouts of two individuals wanted by the authorities: Ye “Batu” Fang and Qiu Min Yu.
Judge Wesley Bogdan had issued an arrest warrant for Ye “Batu” Fang on charges of theft, trafficking, and illegal possession of a controlled substance; and for Qiu Min Yu who was charged with theft.
They have not been apprehended yet, Pangelinan said.
DPS is encouraging anyone who has any information regarding Ye “Batu” Fang or Qiu Min Yu to call 911 or the CNMI Crime Stoppers Hotline at (670) 234-7272. Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for any information leading to an arrest.
DPS is also reminding the public that persons found to be harboring a fugitive will be arrested and charged as well.
