|
Monday, May 08, 2006
Labra nephew, pal captured
By Jovy S. Taghoy
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
It took a combined team of the Cebu City Police Office about an hour to catch two suspected car-riding robbers last Saturday night.
The operatives from the Mobile Patrol Group, Special Weapons and Tactics and Theft and Robbery Section led by Insp. Ambrosio Ibones arrested Randy Rodriguez Labra, 25, of A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue City and his alleged cohort identified as Mitchie Espina, 24, of Barangay Apas, Cebu City.
They chased the two from Ranudo St. to Barangay Lahug until they were intercepted at the vicinity of the Ayala Center Cebu mall past 9 p.m.
Randy, according to Ibones, is the nephew of Supt. Pablo Labra II, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau.
Supt. Labra went to the TRS office after the arrest and told Ibones to file appropriate charges against his nephew.
The police official, however, could not be reached for comment last night.
Several snatching incidents involving car-riding robbers have been reported to the police but until last Saturday night, they had no leads.
The operation was made after an alarm was raised to all police units to put up blockades to intercept the suspected robbers in a grey Honda car who have just snatched a shoulder bag of a woman walking along Ranudo St., Barangay Cogon-Ramos past 8 p.m.
The bag of the woman identified as Genara Reponte, 37, contained P20,000 cash, a Nokia 8210 worth P11,000 and important documents.
Based on the information relayed by the police hotline to the operatives, the car sped to D. Jakosalem St. and then headed to the Lahug area.
MPG operatives spotted the car at the vicinity of a posh hotel in Lahug and managed to get away by using another exit that led to the Ayala Access Road.
Two witnesses told Ibones that the suspects stopped for a quick change of the car’s plate number.
The operatives found the car, this time with a different plate number, parked in front of a drug store near the west entrance of Ayala mall.
Upon inquiry, Ibones said they were told that the owner went inside the mall.
While waiting for the owner to come back, Ibones said he coordinated with the City Traffic Operations Management to check on the possible owner of a Honda car with plate number GPA 357.
Based on the records, the car is owned and registered to one Randy Labra of Tres Borces, Mabolo.
Ibones said he immediately sent a team to Mabolo for verification. One of the residents in the area confirmed Labra’s ownership of the car.
Because Labra stayed long at the mall, Ibones said he called for a towing service to pull the car.
As it was about to be towed, Labra allegedly went out and confronted Ibones.
Ibones said they arrested Labra, who tried to resist and escape.
The woman who lost her bag identified the arrested suspects as the ones who victimized her.
Ibones said they have been hunting down the suspects after receiving several reports of snatching incidents, identifying the perpetrators as riding a car.
The modus: the robbers prey on victims who are walking along the streets. They would slow down the car, roll down the window and seize the bag or one of them will get off, grab the bag, go back inside the car and then speed off.
Ibones said that until the arrest last Saturday night, they did not have any idea about the identities of the perpetrators.
Several incidents have been reported to the T. Padilla Police Station, Mabolo Police Station and at the Fuente Police Station.
Last May 1, a woman identified as Michelle Escalera also lodged a report at the TRS narrating that car-riding robbers took her bag at 2 a.m. while she was walking at the corner of Escario and Tojong Sts.
Escalera suffered minor injuries when she fell on the pavement. She tried to hold on tight to her bag.
Ibones yesterday urged other victims to visit the TRS office to identify the arrested suspects.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 8, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
