By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
TENSION gripped neighboring business establishments in Garapan when the owner of Plumeria Steak House and Ete Café caught two thieves red-handed and collared one of them on Monday.
The two suspects, whom the Department of Public Safety has yet to identify, were arrested after the incident, according to Plumeria Steak House and Ete Café owner Steve Jang.
On Tuesday night, Jang found himself in another action-packed incident when a suspected thief grabbed money from his restaurant’s tip jar. The suspect, however, managed to escape, prompting a police manhunt in the Garapan business district.
Jang recounted the two separate incidents to Variety.
At around 5:25 p.m. Monday, Jang said he went upstairs to take a shower after a long day of work. While he was showering, he heard the restaurant manager screaming. The manager said someone had broken into the warehouse located on the second floor at the back of the restaurant.
“They are here,” the manager shouted, prompting Jang to bolt out of the bathroom, put on his boxer shorts, grab his baseball bat, and rush to the scene, where he chased the intruders to the roof of the two-story building. At this point, the manager must have already called 911.
Jang said he confronted the first suspect with a baseball bat and ordered him to lie down. The suspect refused, so “we engaged in a physical altercation involving pushing and shoving. He ran and escaped by jumping from the roof.”
The restaurant owner said he caught the second suspect, who was hiding next to the split-type air-conditioning unit. Jang held the suspect until police officers arrived about seven to eight minutes later.
Jang said those few minutes of holding the suspect “felt extremely long.” He saw many people watching from the ground, but no one dared to assist him, “so I continued to restrain the suspect on my own,” while he kept yelling at everyone downstairs to call 911.
“When I heard the sirens and saw the police prowl cars approaching, that was when I felt some relief,” he said. But while officers were making their way to the rooftop, “the struggle continued with the taller suspect” until the officers finally apprehended him.
“I want to commend our DPS officers for responding swiftly and professionally. I am very thankful for their efforts,” Jang said, adding that he is also grateful that DPS is now enforcing Public Law 24-15, which Gov. David M. Apatang recently signed, to prohibit loitering, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. Although there is still work to be done, he said, this is a strong step in the right direction.
At around 8 p.m. Tuesday, the cashier at Ete Café heard someone touch the glass tip jar behind her. When she turned around, she saw the suspect running away with the money. Jang was there at the time and chased the suspect, who ran toward the former Duty-Free Shop and disappeared into a dark area behind the building.
Police searched the entire Garapan area but were not able to find the suspect as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Jang said he hopes “our judicial system will issue maximum sentencing where legally appropriate so that individuals who disturb public areas, businesses, and tourist zones are deterred from repeating such actions.”
Anyone who vandalizes parks or schools, or disrupts tourism areas, should face serious consequences, he said.
As a local business owner and stakeholder in the CNMI tourism economy, Jang said he sees every day how unchecked public behavior damages the island’s image. He recalled that before P.L. 24-15 was enacted, law enforcement did not have enough authority to address such behavior effectively. Now, he said, DPS has stronger enforcement tools to restore order and protect the tourist district. “It is critical that we continue to support these efforts,” he added.
Jang also noted that with the expected arrival of more visitors from Korea and possibly Japan in the coming months, it is essential that “we ensure Saipan remains clean, safe and welcoming.”
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
