CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Local authorities on Monday, May 8, recovered some P2.8-million cash and a jewelry box stolen from a family by two thieves and their juvenile cohorts.
The suspects identified as Joebren Manaloto, 22, and Lester Mangoba, 19, broke into the house of victim Luz Castañeda in San Nicolas village and took a vault containing cash amounting to P2.8 million and a jewelry box with expensive items in it on Monday evening.
However, city police chief Superintendent Jean Fajardo said that while Castañeda was reporting the incident to the local police, a man identified as Jorney Acevedo, 29, showed up carrying the said vault.
According to Acevedo, he was paid P1,000 to open and then dispose the vault by suspects who personally went to his home around 1 a.m. of the same day.
Acevedo, who is working as a buko juice vendor together with the two suspects, also disclosed further information that led to the arrest of Manaloto and Mangoba in a house which is near Castañeda’s residence.
Recovered from Mangoba’s possession were the cash amounting P1.436 million and the jewelry box, while P50,000 cash was seized from Manaloto.
During interrogation, Mangoba said that the rest of the money was in the possession of a 16-year-old male identified as “Nat-nat” who was arrested with his 16-year-old girlfriend in a motel with P1.247 million.
However, Fajardo said that some P64,600 cash were already spent by the suspects and have already disposed a gold jewelry necklace.
Further investigation revealed that “Nat-nat” is Castañeda’s nephew who was also living in the victim’s house.
Allegedly, “Nat-nat” saw Castañeda putting cash every now and then at the said vault which might have tempted the suspect to plan and commit the robbery.
Fajardo said that the suspects are facing robbery charges. Manaloto and Mangoba are now in police custody while the three minors were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office.