Snatcher flees cops at Palace of Justice

A suspected snatcher escaped from the policemen who escorted him to the prosecutor's office for the filing of charges against him.

Teodoro Paray ditched his arresting officers inside the Palace of Justice while waiting for a staff at the prosecutor's office to receive the charge sheet and for the prosecutor to conduct the inquest proceeding.

Paray, who was arrested for cellphone snatching, managed to escape by going up to the second floor of the palace of justice when his arresting officers were busy preparing the documents.

Paray easily escaped unnoticed from the security guards of the building because he was not handcuffed.

The chief security of the palace of justice, Romeo Jamaybay, said that they immediately closed the doors of the building upon learning of the escape. However, Jamaybay said that the information was relayed to them only a few minutes later.

"Wala mi kabantay kay wa may posas unya wa say uniporme," Jumaybay said.

Jumaybay said Paray was just talking with his live-in partner near the stairs leading to the left wing of the palace of justice when the policemen temporarily lost sight of him. Upon seeing that the policemen were not watching him, Paray immediately went up to the second floor and disappeared.

The members of the TRS immediately pursued the escapee but failed to locate him. Jumaybay said they searched all the possible areas of the building where Paray could be hiding but he was nowhere to be found.

A bondsman who prepared Paray's supposed bail told reporters that the complaint expressed willingness to withdraw the complaint and have it settled out of court. - Fred P. Languido/BRP