HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The gun used in the fatal shooting of a Korean tourist was reported stolen in 1994.
The Guam Police Department on Thursday morning issued a press release with an update on the investigation into the death of a Korean tourist who was shot following an armed robbery on Jan. 4 in Tumon.
GPD stated during the investigation that “a projectile matching a firearm seized in connection with the case was found along the Gun Beach area.”
“The firearm confiscated during the evening Mr. (Keoki) Santos succumbed to his injuries matches a firearm that was reported stolen in a theft complaint filed in 1994,” GPD added.
Court documents state the firearm in question was a 9 mm Beretta handgun with a black handle found after a suspect in the case, Keoki Santos, took his own life in a parked car in Yona as police were on the verge of apprehending him.
A 9 mm bullet was found at the scene where the tourist was shot and was determined to be fired from the Beretta, according to charging documents.
“The Guam Police Department would like to express our gratitude to the community for the unwavering support they have provided throughout this investigation. We remain committed to delivering justice in this case and ensuring the safety and security of our community,” GPD stated in the release.
The department confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.
Death
About 8 p.m. Jan. 4, Korean tourist Hea Jun Hwang, 60, was walking with his wife up the hill from Gun Beach when two men in a vehicle approached them and the man sitting in the passenger seat “presented a pistol and demanded (the woman’s) purse,” the magistrate’s complaint states.
A struggle ensued, during which Hwang was shot and fell to the ground. The suspects then sped off in the vehicle with a Lacoste purse that contained a wallet and bank cards. Hwang was taken to the hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen caused by a 9 mm bullet.
Police subsequently launched an investigation that involved obtaining surveillance footage from businesses in the area and identifying the vehicle and a portion of the license plate number. Additionally, a tip helped investigators track down Stefen Camacho, who was known to drive the vehicle, and Santos, both of whom were from Yona, the complaint stated.
Camacho was eventually taken into custody on Jan. 9. He allegedly stated he and Santos went to Tumon to “try to snatch someone’s purse” to recoup a $100 gambling loss.
Santos was found later and took his own life as he was being approached by the officers in Yona, according to the complaint.
Camacho is currently facing charges of complicity to commit aggravated murder and complicity to commit robbery as first-degree felonies with the special allegation of a vulnerable victim, a tourist over the age of 55. Camacho also was charged with theft of property and destroying evidence as misdemeanors.
According to Post files, Camacho remains at the Department of Corrections on $1 million cash bail.
Stefen Keanu Camacho
Keoki Junior Santos
