Burglars rent room, dig hole to pawnshop

IT WAS the second time around, but hardly a repeat.

An alarm system connected to the police foiled the burglary attempt of Acetylene Gang members on Prime Asia Pawnshop on F. Llamas St., Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City last Sunday night.

In 2003, the shop was robbed of P1.7-million in jewelry and cash.

In last Sunday’s incident, the gang failed to take anything.

Police operatives found a hole in the wall adjacent to the pawnshop, just enough for a person to sneak inside.

The incident was believed to have been perpetrated by three robbery suspects, whom police suspect to be the same group behind the 2003 heist.

The trio allegedly scampered when a magnetic device set off at 8 p.m.

Operation

An acetylene torch, rubber hoses, bolt cutter and other tools were discovered by the police lying in the small room.

Senior Insp. Aileen Recla, Punta Princesa Police Station chief, told reporters that a certain William Path, a native of Occidental Mindoro, rented a small room in an adjacent two-storey apartment.

Recla said Path brought two unidentified men in the apartment and had a drinking session in his room.

Recla theorized Path and his companion started destroying the wall on Sunday.

“Gipakusgan pa nila ang radyo para dili madunggan (They played ther radio loud so others won’t hear what they were doing),” Recla said.

But after they broke into the pawnshop’s comfort room, a magnetic device was triggered, prompting the robbers to leave.

The alarm system connected to the police hotline 166 was detected.

A team of police officers, who was manning a checkpoint near the establishment, was dispatched.

PO1 Glenn Devocion, one of the responding police officers, told Sun.Star Cebu he observed that it was normal when they arrived at the establishment.

He then asked the pawnshop security guard to open the establishment. The guard, however, failed to open it as the key was with the manager, who resides in Minglanilla town.

Suspect

The Theft and Robbery Section headed by Senior Insp. Bonifacio Garciano yesterday picked up a-38-year-old man, who is an alleged member of Acetylene Gang.

As of press time, police are still verifying his involvement in the incident.

Garciano said his office will coordinate with the establishment where the recovered tools were bought to help them in identifying the suspects.

Tenant

According to the apartment caretaker, who requested not to be named, Path occupied the room last Nov. 22.

He revealed that Path insisted to stay at the second level of the apartment on top of the pawnshop, which was the same room that Acetylene robbers rented in 2003.

Path later agreed to stay at the room in the lower floor next to the pawnshop’s comfort room, after learning that his preferred room has been occupied.

“Gi-check pa gane nako ang iyang driver’s license ug SSS, unya sakto man (I even
checked his driver’s license and SSS, and it was valid),” the caretaker said.

CCPO Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe, on the other hand, urged the business sector to put security and alarm systems to foil burglary incidents.

“It is an advantage if an establishment is connected to the police,” Buenafe said. Davinci Maru, USJ-R MassComm Intern