AN UNUSUAL theft occurred in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, where a suspect clad only in underwear stole a vault allegedly containing at least P2 million, with two other similar incidents also reported.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesperson Lt. Col. Christian Torres confirmed to reporters on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, that the incident happened on Monday, March 10, with an unidentified man with a skinhead haircut serving as the suspect in the developing case.
Torres said the victim, a Korean national living in a high-end subdivision in barangay Maribago, filed a police blotter at Police Station 2 on Monday morning, reporting that the suspect stole between P2 million to P3 million in cash after entering the house through a window.
He added that the exact amount stolen has not yet been finalized in the police blotter.
The victim’s home CCTV footage recorded around 3 a.m. showed the man dressed only in black underwear and wearing a mask descending the stairs while carrying a vault twice the size of his head on one shoulder.
The victim said the vault also contained his passport. He urged the public to report any information about the suspect.
On Sunday, March 9, Torres said a police blotter was filed at Police Station 2 for theft, with the same half-naked suspect accused of stealing P10,000 from another Korean national’s vault in a subdivision in Maribago.
He added that authorities will also investigate another incident involving the same suspect, matching his profile, who was seen entering a house in Barangay Marigondon owned by a Korean national. The motive in the case is yet to be determined.
Investigation
Police officers are investigating the identity of the suspect, who appears to have a distinct “trademark” modus operandi of wearing only underwear in at least three theft cases involving Korean nationals, said Torres.
Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect may know his victims as he appears to be targeting Korean nationals.
Despite the unusual circumstances, investigators are focused on identifying the suspect, estimated to be in his 30s or 40s, with physical characteristics resembling those of a foreign national from Asia.
Torres also revealed that local individuals with criminal records do not recognize the suspect.
Authorities are examining CCTV footage from spas along Maribago to determine if the suspect’s profile matches reports of theft in the area. / DPC