HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man accused of stealing a yellow bus and crashing it near Andersen Air Force Base pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Jesse Taitano Basaliso appeared in the Superior Court of Guam to answer to charges related to allegations of stealing a bus, eluding the Guam Police Department and crashing the vehicle into a barrier outside Andersen Air Force Base on March 13.
Richard Dirkx from the Alternate Public Defender, who was representing Basaliso, initially said his office had been trying to reach Basaliso, who remains confined at the Department of Corrections. However, Dirkxx said he was unable to contact his client because Basaliso was in “quarantine” and couldn’t be brought to the phone.
Dirkx then asked Magistrate Judge Benjamin Sison Jr. to reschedule the arraignment hearing before Basaliso, who appeared via Zoom from DOC, interjected, stating he would like to assert his right to speedy trial.
Basaliso further expressed frustration that he hadn’t been approached by the Alternate Public Defender about his case.
“I would like to assert it as soon as possible because I think APD isn’t interested in my case,” Basaliso said. Dirkx then attempted to explain the situation to him.
However, Dirkx, realizing Basaliso understood what it meant to assert the right to a speedy trial, decided to go forward with the arraignment.
On behalf of Basaliso, Dirkx pleaded not guilty to the charges and asserted Basaliso’s right to a speedy trial.
Basaliso was charged with theft of a motor vehicle as a second-degree felony and eluding a police officer and criminal mischief as misdemeanors.
Basaliso’s next hearings and trial will be before Judge Alberto Tolentino.
Incident
Basaliso’s charges stemmed from an initial call to police that Basalsio allegedly got into a bus from the Core Tech barracks off Route 34, and rammed the main gate of Two Lovers Point, court documents state.
The Guam Daily Post is affiliated with Core Tech.
Officers subsequently responded and learned the bus was in the NCS area of Dededo before locating it and attempting to conduct a pullover. However, Basaliso did not comply but appeared to stop and then sped up multiple times.
Documents state Basaliso continued driving while police were in pursuit until he approached Andersen Air Force Base and came to a stop at a red traffic light. Basaliso, despite further commands by police to stop, drove when the light turned green, but collided with a concrete barrier by AAFB.
As officers approached the bus, Basaliso allegedly said, “I’m here for recruitment,” court documents state.
The bus was observed by officers to have a cracked windshield, a sliver of metal sticking out of the front bumper, a partially dented door and a missing window pane. The gate to Two Lovers Point also appeared to be bent, and there were pieces of glass and amber pieces from the bus’ headlight nearby.
The Andersen Air Force Base main gate is seen on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Yigo.
