A 47-YEAR-OLD barber was arrested after being caught shoplifting in a shopping mall in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, on Monday afternoon, August 8, 2022.
Police Officer (PO) 1 Raffy Rempojo, investigator of Talisay City Police Station, identified the suspect as Jerome Abanay, who stole four branded denim shorts worth over P4,000.
The items stolen were two pieces of Oxygen brand short worth P599 each and two Lee shorts worth P1,599 each.
Rempojo told SunStar Cebu that the suspect from Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City who works as a barber, admitted to being a habitual thief, claiming that he was also previously arrested in Mandaue City and in Lapu-Lapu City for stealing denim shorts and polo shirts.
"Ug wala siyay customer sa barber shop, mao ni iya sideline, first time nga niari siya og Talisay kay nibalhin napod og lain'g lugar para ipadayon iyang binuhatan. Usahay, naa siya madungan nga mga shoplifter pud pero mag solo flight ra ni siya," Rempojo said.
(If he has no customer at the barber shop, he sidelined as shoplifter. This is his first time to come to Talisay as he transferred to another place to continue his wrongdoings. Sometimes, there were also shoplifters going with him but he preferred to be alone).
Rempojo said the suspect wore the four denim shorts at the fitting room then proceeded to the exit area where he was detected by the mall's sensor.
Abanay tried to escape but was caught by security guards during a brief chase.
Aljon Altoveros, one of the security guards, said they did not keep an eye on the suspect when he entered the premises because he looked calm and innocent.
"Na detect ni sa sensor ang suspek, so pagka-alarm, nidiretso na mi ug responde. Nidagan siya pagawas dayon amo ni gigukod ug na aresto namo alas 3:40 sa hapon," Altoveros said.
(The alarm sensor sounded after it detected the suspect and we responded immediately by chasing the suspect, who was eventually caught at 3:40 p.m.).
The suspect is now detained at the Talisay Police Station, waiting for the charges to be filed against him. (GDC, TPT)