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Friday, March 04, 2005
Pawnshop loses P1M in burglary
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- Some P1 million worth of jewelry and cellular phones was taken from a downtown pawnshop while a nearby store and its concessionaire lost cash and six divers' watches to burglars whom police believe were a professional "acetylene gang."
The burglary was discovered when employees of the Prime Asia Pawnshop on Colon St., Cebu City opened the branch at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
However, the burglary is believed to have occurred about 12:30 a.m., when Prime Asia security guard Esmiraldo Morales heard the alarm inside the pawnshop go off for about two minutes but eventually shut off.
Morales told investigators that the alarm system often goes off but eventually shuts off by itself, which is why he ignored it.
They doubt this claim, though, saying the alarm system would not go off until it is purposely shut off.
Vendors outside told Sun.Star that the guards on duty at night did not stay in the vicinity of the pawnshop and often went to the billiard halls and bars across the street.
It was the second burglary of the same company in two years. The first one was in Prime Asia's branch in Labangon, Cebu City.
Last Feb. 27, at least five Tagalog-speaking persons reportedly checked in at the Hallmark Hotel on Osmeña Blvd., which is adjacent to the pawnshop.
They occupied rooms 301, 401, 407, 511 and 507-all facing the Lim Chin building where the pawnshop is located.
According to Theft and Robbery Section Chief Ambrosio Ibones, the person who occupied room 407 was first assigned to room 412, but he later transferred to room 407 when it was available.
Investigators also pointed out that these were the only rooms in the hotel that had jalousie blades, which could be easily detached to lead to the Lim Chin building.
The hotel room boy told police that he noticed the occupants still in one of the rooms yesterday morning, about the same time the burglary was discovered.
But later, they noticed that all occupants of the said rooms were suddenly gone.
They did not leave the hotel with an outstanding balance though, as they paid for their stay the day before.
Based on the inspection, police said the culprits got out from room 301 and landed on the roof of Lim Chin building.
They cut open the G.I. sheets and entered the second floor of the building, which was being used as a storeroom.
Once inside, they made a hole on the wooden floor and gained access to the pawnshop below.
Police believe they turned off the alarm when it started to ring.
Though they were equipped with an acetylene torch, oxygen tank, liquefied petroleum gas tank and rubber hoses, they were able to force open one of three vaults.
The vault contained an estimated P1 million worth of jewelry and cell phones-all pawned items.
After taking the items, they also took P7,000 cash from Lim Chin Trading (owned by Eulalio Lim) on the first floor beside the pawnshop and six Seiko divers' watches worth P5,700 each owned by Maritess Chanco.
They escaped through the same route, leaving behind the unused oxygen and liquefied petroleum gas tanks, acetylene torch, pliers, four crowbars, two flat screw drivers, wire cutter and a wood hand drill.
The wood hand drill had a price tag that indicated it was purchased in Dumaguete City.
Ibones did not want to conclude yet that the perpetrators were from Dumaguete City, saying it was possible they only came to Cebu via Dumaguete or Bacolod City.
(March 4, 2005 issue)
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