Thursday, September 28, 2006 Cops on patrol nab 2 jeepney robbers By Jovy S. Taghoy Sun.Star Staff Reporter
CONSTANT patrol and police visibility worked when two robbers, who just took a cellular phone of a jeepney passenger, were arrested by the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) yesterday morning.
Jefferson Tecson, 20, of Villagonzalo I, Barangay Tejero, and Joel Naval, 21, of McArthur Blvd., Barangay San Roque had barely walked a distance when they were arrested by PO3 Melvin Gines and PO1 Roel Montederamos, who is on his six-month field training program (FTP).
The policemen were on board a patrol car.
The arrest was made only a few minutes after Tecson and Naval victimized Maricel Salcedo, 18, a saleslady in a shop at Banilad Town Center (BTC), inside a Talamban-bound jeepney.
The jeepney was traveling at the corner of New Imus Road and D. Jakosalem St., past 10 a.m. when Naval pointed an ice pick at Salcedo’s side and demanded for her Nokia 1100 cellular phone.
Salcedo had used her phone to check what time it was. After she put it back in the bag, Naval went to work.
Salcedo surrendered her phone. Naval jumped out of the jeepney and escaped on a bicycle driven by Tecson.
Salcedo immediately sought assistance from the nearby Zapatera Barangay Hall.
The MPG patrol car also happened to pass by the area.
T. Padilla St.
The police, Zapatera Barangay Captain Francisco Benedicto and his tanods caught up with the two along T. Padilla St.
Tecson tried to run away but was chased and arrested by Montederamos.
Tecson and Naval were turned over to the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS).
In an interview at the TRS, the two admitted robbing Salcedo of her cellular phone.
Tecson and Naval said they have already served jail terms at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center for theft.
Tecson said he was jailed in 2001 and Naval in 2002.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. has ordered his men to strengthen the police visibility and deployed secret marshals in jeepneys after a 19-year-old college student was shot dead in a jeepney robbery last Sept. 14.
Carmela Cabañog died of a gunshot wound in the chest after suspected robber Brian Sasam shot her for refusing to hand over her cellular phone. (JST)
