JOHNNY John Basiente, a repeat offender, has been arrested, this time for a theft incident at a Garapan restaurant two weeks ago.
According to the Department of Public Safety, Basiente, 36, has also confessed to other unreported burglary and theft incidents.
In a statement on Friday, DPS stated that it responded to a theft incident on Jan. 30, 2023, at about 8:39 a.m. at Guang Zhou Restaurant in western Garapan.
Arriving at the scene, police learned that the suspect in the case based on surveillance footage was Basiente.
DPS said Basiente was caught inside the restaurant by the owners and that while the defendant was trying to get away, Basiente and the owners got into a struggle.
The struggle resulted in the victims’ sustaining minor injuries while Basiente fled in a getaway vehicle identified as a white Toyota RAV-4 with license plate AGB 622.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, police investigators found Basiente at a residence in Dandan.
Upon conducting a consent search at the residence, detectives identified and recovered several stolen properties that were later positively identified by victims of previous reported burglary and theft incidents, police said.
Upon waiving his rights to an attorney, Basiente confessed to multiple crimes he committed this year alone, some of which had yet to be reported, DPS said.
Throughout the course of their investigation, investigators found numerous stolen properties, all of which were recovered and positively identified by several victims, DPS added.
These cases are still under investigation.
Bail hearing
Basiente appeared before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho for a bail hearing on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Basiente was charged with burglary, vandalism, three counts of assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.
Judge Camacho imposed a $30,000 cash bail on the defendant.
As there was a conflict of interest with the Public Defender’s Office in representing Basiente, Judge Camacho appointed attorney Keith Chambers II to represent the defendant.
Assistant Attorney General Frances Demapan appeared for the government.
After the hearing, Basiente was remanded to the custody of Corrections and was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m., and for an arraignment on March 6 at 9 a.m.
Johnny John Basiente, center foreground, is escorted out of a courtroom by a Corrections officer on Friday morning.
