THE Department of Public Safety is asking for the public’s help in locating Hwang Hee Jung, who is wanted on multiple charges, including possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a controlled substance, violation of firearm identification card requirements, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Superior Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho signed and issued an arrest warrant for Hwang, setting bail at $100,000, according to a DPS wanted notice issued Friday.
As of Sunday, DPS Public Information Officer Fred Sato said Hwang remained at large.
Hwang, 43, was earlier arrested and charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping and assault of tour guide Jijing “Jimmy” Borja on Aug. 25. Borja told police he was assaulted and abducted by Hwang and two other suspects: Peter Deleon Guerrero, 57, also known as “Dragon” or “Paduna,” and Yichuan Bai, who also remains at large.
All three were formally charged in Superior Court on Sept. 9. Hwang was released after posting $25,000 cash bail.
At a preliminary hearing last week, the court dropped kidnapping and aggravated assault charges against Deleon Guerrero. However, Judge Camacho found probable cause to charge him with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.
Deleon Guerrero is scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 22. In the same case, Hwang — represented by attorney Joaquin Torres — was granted a continuance. His preliminary hearing is now set for Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.
In a previous statement to Variety, Hwang said he filed formal complaints with DPS against Borja, alleging extortion and threats.
Hwang said his complaints are supported by WhatsApp messages from Borja demanding money, as well as CCTV footage from his San Antonio business office showing Borja banging on the door “as if trying to break in.” The video was recorded on Aug. 25 — the same day Borja and Bai were reportedly involved in a hit-and-run in Garapan that was also captured on video and widely circulated online.
In a separate interview on Friday evening, Borja told Variety he agreed to meet with Hwang at the former Hyatt hotel on Aug. 25 after Hwang offered $5,000 to cover damages to another vehicle Borja owns.
It was Bai who picked him up in a tan Toyota Tacoma and told Borja they were going to meet Hwang at “Dragon’s” place.
Borja declined to explain what happened to the other vehicle he owned or why he went to Hwang’s San Antonio office following the alleged assault, prior to reporting the incident to DPS. He said he has already submitted statements and evidence to investigators for use in court.
“Hwang can say anything about me — he has freedom of speech,” Borja said. “I already have given evidence to the investigators, and I don’t want to say more to damage the case against the defendants …. It does not matter who you are, how rich and connected you are — under the law everyone must be treated equally.”
“If he [Hwang] didn’t do anything wrong, then why is he hiding and running from the incident?” Borja added.
Borja also expressed gratitude to DPS investigators and other law enforcement officers working on the case.
“I thank law enforcement here for doing a great job,” he said. “I have no ill will toward the people who truly love and care for Hwang. They are nice people, and I hope he stays away from those who put him in trouble.”
DPS confirmed that the viral hit-and-run in Garapan on Aug. 25 is connected to the kidnapping and assault of the tour guide.
The crash occurred near the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation office and involved a tan Toyota Tacoma striking a black vehicle and a cyclist before fleeing the scene.
Capt. Jeff Olopai, commander of the DPS Criminal Investigation Bureau, said the black vehicle was driven by a kidnapping victim.
“The black vehicle was operated by a victim that had just been kidnapped,” Olopai said. “The victim was unable to make a phone call. So what the victim did was use his vehicle to ram the suspects’ vehicle to stop them, but he didn’t succeed because they still got away.”
Asked whether the vehicle had been recovered, Olopai said it had been destroyed.
“That vehicle is not in custody — it was destroyed,” he said. “Through our investigation, we were able to identify it and learned it had basically been shredded.”
