Thieves target homes after typhoon

While many took the weekend as a time to recover from Typhoon Dolphin, thieves were also on the loose looking to take advantage of residents who were left vulnerable without power and water.
Sinajana resident Irene Taitano says she was sleeping when her house was hit by thieves early Sunday morning. "They broke into my house," she explained. "They stole my mom's purse with money, jewelry, her medicine they also broke into the jeep they stole a pouch money and a wallet. Oh, and three iPads and my husband's phone."
The family was exhausted from the day before - post-Typhoon Dolphin they were busy assessing damages to their home and cleaning up. Taitano admits: they may have failed to notice their unwanted guest. "According to my husband he thought it was me. You know, in the middle of the night you have to go use the restroom. And he didn't bother to wake up. I guess we were just so exhausted, tired from cleaning after the typhoon," she recalled.
But Taitano was just one of many targeted post-typhoon. Guam Police Department spokesperson A.J. Balajadia says there were other reported crimes over the weekend, saying, "We did receive some reports of different incidences. People trying to steal generators or copper wire or break into certain things. We did have one incident reported to us where an officer was using a regular vehicle an undercover vehicle and came across suspicious activity at the High Tower Dental Building," he explained.
Early Sunday morning four individuals were seen removing and attempting to steal copper wire from a generator at the Center Point Building, also known as High Tower Dental, in Tamuning. The four suspects managed to remove the wire and were attempting to load it into their vehicle.
39-year-old Badabino Sablan Taisacan, 35-year-old Charmaine Cabrera Cruz, 39-year-old Freddy De Gracia, and 36-year-old Oli Taisacan were arrested for theft of property and guilt by complicity offenses. They were booked and confined.
Officer Balajadia said, "I think that because we're utilizing generators and things like that just be mindful there are individuals who will try to target your residence especially with windows open because people who don't have power will leave their windows open and try not to leave your house with the windows left open. Go ahead and secure up. I know that it's hot, but for the safety of your items you should lock up before you leave."
Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin didn't just bring rains and winds strong enough to shake up many Guam homes - it's left Taitano's sense of security shaken up, too. "This was the first time our house was burglarized like this and I'm shocked. I'm even scared to sleep at night," she admitted. "Now that he knows what we have in there, he might come back again and take what he saw already."
If you have any information on this crime, you are urged to call Guam Crimestoppers at 477-HELP (4357).