SAIPAN — A Saipan property owner says a man CNMI police identified as Ariel Shtul vandalized his property twice in less than a week, including a second incident he says he witnessed in real time.
Property owner Ponce Rasa told NMI News Service the first incident was discovered Friday, when he noticed a shipping container on his family’s property had been defaced. Rasa said he reported the damage to police and then sought out surveillance footage from nearby residents across the street.
After giving his statement, Rasa said he asked officers whether he could repaint the container to cover the vandalism and was told it would be fine. He said he repainted it.
Rasa said the vandal struck again on Monday, February 2. He told NMI News Service he saw the same man walking nearby on his way to work, turned around, and attempted to call police, but couldn’t get through at that moment. Rasa said when he arrived, he saw the suspect vandalizing the container “right there in front of my eyes.”
Rasa said the man identified himself as “Ariel” and attempted to shake his hand, and that he was yelling obscenities while walking back and forth in the roadway, briefly halting traffic. Rasa said the man also shouted comments about Commissioner Anthony Torres and the Department of Corrections.
Rasa said a police officer later transported him to Gold Beach Hotel so he could physically identify the suspect. Police arrested Shtul Monday afternoon, and he remained in custody as of Monday, based on information provided to NMI News Service.
Rasa said the incident felt personal because of the message implied by the vandalism, and he said he supports Palestine. But he said differences of opinion do not justify entering private property and damaging it.
“Everybody has a difference of opinion, I get that,” Rasa said. “But it doesn’t give you the right to come into anybody’s private property and… start vandalizing the place because of your beliefs.”
