Acting Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas, center, Criminal Bureau of Investigation Commander Captain Jeffrey Olopai, right, and DPS’ public information officer, Police Sgt. Fred Sato, during a press briefing on Friday.
DEPARTMENT of Public Safety Acting Commissioner Anthony Macaranas held a press briefing on Friday to provide updates on a double homicide case, the missing person who was found dead, the alleged sexual assault case at Marianas High School, among other issues.
With Macaranas were DPS Public Information Officer Sgt. Fred Sato, and the Criminal Bureau Investigations commander, Capt. Jeffrey Olopai.
Double homicide
Regarding the murder of Wang Jindong, 57, and Liu Shuping, 52, in January 2024, Olopai said they have sent evidence for analysis to an off-island laboratory.
“We have been working closely with our federal partners to include the Guam Police Department lab, and once the results come back then we have something more solid to share,” Olopai told reporters.
Asked if there were any leads, he said, “Yes, but I cannot speak to that right now pending the results of the lab analysis.”
Pressed for more information, Olopai said, “We interviewed just about every person that … we came across during the investigation. … We are at a phase [when] we have collected everything that we identified as a viable piece of evidence, and we sent it to the lab.”
Dr. Philip Dauterman of the Commonwealth Health Center, who performed the autopsies, indicated that the deaths of Wang Jindong and Liu Shuping were caused by blunt force trauma to the head.
The couple were found in the bedroom of their apartment on Hagamham Lane at the corner of Tun Joaquin Doi Road in Fina Sisu. Wang was unresponsive while Liu was seriously injured. A few days later, she passed away at the hospital.
Not a homicide
The body of Finasisu resident Jesus Pinaula Rios, 67, who was last seen by a family member around noon on Feb. 5, was found at a compound across from Happy Market on Feb. 10, at 10 a.m.
“We conducted the search as soon as we got the information [that he was missing],” Olopai said. “It was unfortunate that we were not able to locate him at that time. … By the time we found him, Mr. Rios had already passed.”
He said they are no longer conducting a homicide investigation based on the findings of the examiner — there was no trauma to the body and no signs of foul play, Olopai added.
Reinstatement
When asked about it, Macaranas said the resignation of former DPS Commissioner Clement Bermudes had nothing to do with the reinstatement of Sgt. Peter Camacho.
As it is an administrative issue, Macaranas declined to provide more information.
“I took that decision myself; it was my decision to reinstate [Camacho] but with a condition,” he said.
Macaranas has withdrawn the notice of proposed adverse action for termination issued against Camacho.
But Personnel Order No. 2024-010, which Macaranas issued on Feb. 1, 2024, is still in effect, and Camacho was reassigned to the patrol section under the Division of Police.
Camacho had accused the Civil Service Commission of violating his due process rights by failing to notify him of its Dec. 5, 2023 special meeting, and depriving him of the opportunity to be heard on his grievances.
Then-DPS Commissioner Bermudes received a letter from Gov. Arnold I. Palacios dated Dec. 22, 2023, instructing him to reassign Camacho to the Marianas Regional Fusion Center.
“Compliance with this order is mandatory and non-negotiable,” Palacios told Bermudes.
On Jan. 26, 2024, the governor asked Bermudes to resign.
Sexual assault
As for the alleged sexual assault incident at MHS, Olopai told reporters that he cannot speak about the case yet.
“I am not able to discuss details about that right now, but we will issue a press release [about] it,” he added.
On Jan. 9, 2024, at approximately 12:54 p.m., DPS 911 dispatch received a call about a sexual assault of a minor incident at MHS.
At approximately 1:01 p.m., officers arrived and met with the school principal. The officers were told that a faculty member was seen kissing a student on campus.
Macaranas assured the public that DPS is actively pursuing the case.
“We are not straying off from it. The investigation continues. … We want the community to know we are taking this seriously, and taking it step by step. For sure if it’s time for the case to move forward, to be prosecuted, [we want to cover] every side and make sure that everything is right before it goes to the Attorney General’s Office and to the court,” Macaranas said.
The faculty member, who was not identified, resigned effective Jan. 12, 2024, according to the Public School System.
