Tuesday, October 09, 2007 City worker sued for digicam theft By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
POLICE authorities filed theft charges against a City Health Office employee on accusation that she stole a digital camera at a movie house counter at Gaisano Mall in J.P. Laurel Street, Davao City.
The suspect identified as Rechel Devesa, 23, a resident of Catalunan Grande, Davao City, was charged based on the affidavit complaint of Jessica Canasa, 33, cinema supervisor of Gaisano Mall.
In her affidavit, Canasa said she is charging the suspect in behalf of mall management and digicam owner, one Lyza Chiw.
Chiw went in to watch a movie at Cinema 6 at around 1:30 p.m. of October 2 and left her digicam at the ticket receiver/porter since digicams are not allowed inside movie houses. In exchange, she was given stub number 1201 so that she can claim her camera afterwards.
When Chiw went out at around 3 p.m., the digicam and the corresponding counter stub with matching number 1201 could no longer be located and so they called for police assistance.
While the police was questioning them, that was when Canasa recalled she had visitors that time, namely Luisita Guerrero and Bethlea Bibat from the City Health Office, who were there for a sanitary inspection of the facility. They were with Deveza, a casual employee of CHO.
Canasa said the following day, their janitorial staff Leonardo Fernandez came to her office and told her that he saw Deveza coming out of Cinema 6 and then entering Cinema 2 that day and there appeared to be something bulky protruding on her back.
Another mall staff, Alvie Jornada Cabrera, told her that she saw the stub number 1201 in a toilet cubicle. Cabrera said she remembered seeing Deveza entering the cubicle twice.
On October 4, Guerrero appeared at her office with a note from Deveza confessing about having stolen the camera. In the same note, Deveza promised to surrender the pawn paper for the digicam. (RMH)
