Fernando Quitugua Babauta, 39, was recently arrested and charged in connection to a theft incident at Home Depot. Babauta was detained while riding a bicycle in Tumon on Dec. 9, after being stopped for not wearing a helmet. During the stop, police found a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue in his bag, leading to his arrest.
The theft occurred on Jan. 25 at the Home Depot store, where Babauta and an accomplice reportedly filled two shopping carts with merchandise before leaving without paying. The suspects, who were seen leaving the store separately, had their items loaded into a gold Toyota Tacoma. The employee who reported the incident identified Babauta as one of the thieves due to prior encounters.
Babauta had stolen $176.47 worth of goods, while the second suspect took $830.61 worth. The employee indicated that this theft was part of an organized retail theft operation. Babauta was booked at the Department of Corrections on Dec. 16 after being linked to the theft. His initial arrest on Dec. 9 led to the discovery of methamphetamine, further complicating the charges against him.
