Thursday, June 12, 2008
P13M pawnshop heist suspects charged with robbery, homicide
TWO suspects in a P13 million pawnshop robbery were charged yesterday with robbery and homicide.
Cebu City Prosecutors Marla Barcenilla and Nicolas Sellon approved the charges after conducting a 15-day preliminary investigation on the case.
But the suspect, Baby Lapinid Toring, continues to assert his innocence. In addition to his counter-affidavit, he submitted a supplemental counter-affidavit on Tuesday, the deadline of the 15-day preliminary investigation period. This caused Barcenilla to postpone the filing of charges.
Decision
But Toring and the other suspect, Emmanuel Alimboyong Caraballe, now face a non-bailable charge of robbery with homicide.
Six other suspects are still at large.
Toring wept when Barcenilla rendered her decision to file criminal charges yesterday. Caraballe, on the other hand, was somber and silent.
He did not submit his counter-affidavit.
“Maghuwat nalang (mi) kung unsa’y ingnun sa korte (We’ll just wait for what the court will say),” Elizabeth, Toring’s wife, said.
But upon leaving the Palace of Justice, she broke down on the steps and cried. Toring’s relatives had to support her as she became too weak to walk.
Carificatory
Caraballe, on the other hand, was alone, being a native of Surigao del Sur.
Asked why he wasn’t able to submit a counter-affidavit, he, initially said that he forgot, but later on added that he did not have money to hire a lawyer.
Toring, in his counter-affidavit asked for a clarificatory hearing so his lawyer could confront the witnesses.
His supplemental counter-affidavit claimed that he had checked in at Cres Pension at 11:00 a.m. on May 24, the time when the crime was committed.
He further said that he was inside the room with a girl named Cecilia Santillan.
Santillan, a widow, also submitted her affidavit, saying he and Toring were “conversing with each other inside our room” when police arrived to question and then arrest him.
Crescente Tiong, owner of Cres Pension House, issued an affidavit saying Toring and Santillan checked in at 11:20 a.m. on May 24. He also said that he knew Toring because the latter was an employee of Delco who distributed Pepsi to the pension house.
Perimeter
Toring also claimed that his arrest was illegal, as police did not have any arrest warrant. He added that “not even my shadow was within the perimeters” of the two pawnshops.
The robbery of the two pawnshops, Agencia Anne and Oro Sugbo Pawnshop and Jewelry, took place at 11:00 a.m. on May 24.
Eight armed men were seen collaborating with each other during the crime, smashing jewelry cases, threatening employees and serving as look-outs.
Tips from “concerned citizens” led the police to search Cres Pension House.
A goldsmith, whose shop is located in front of Oro Sugbo, identified Caraballe and Toring that afternoon at the Cebu City Police Office.
Hospital
He said Caraballe was the man with a .45 caliber pistol who disarmed the pawnshop’s security guard. Toring was allegedly the look-out armed with an Uzi submachine gun.
Caraballe had tried to elude arrest at the Cres Pension House. Earlier reports said that he had first claimed he was being sought by police for occasionally using shabu.
He, however, did not submit any counter-affidavit.
The getaway car, a white Toyota Lite Ace with plate GDJ 400, was also recovered by police last May 24 in an alley by a hospital located along Tres de Abril St., Cebu
City.
The total loss, as accounted by the pawnshop owners, amounted to P13,020,790.00. (KAB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 12, 2008 issue)
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