Cops nab notorious burglar

There is no honor among thieves.

This after a suspected burglar, who is said to be a minor, was arrested by Cebu City Police director Patrocinio Comendador and elements of the Pardo police station in sitio Tanublapuk, barangay Inayawan, last Friday night, squealed on the whereabouts of his gang.

The suspect, who goes by the name "Jeprox", claims he is only 16 as he was born in 1991 but policemen said he is already 19 years old. He was arrested after a team of Pardo policemen responded to an alarm in the said place. The subject of the said alarm, a certain Ruben Pacquiao, had already escaped and the police arrested Jeprox instead after they found a .38 cal. revolver with two live bullets and a kitchen knife on him.

Comendador was able to monitor the incident through the police radio and rushed to the scene. The suspect reportedly admitted to him that he was a member of a gang of burglars operating in Pardo and Inayawan.

After Jeprox was arrested, he revealed the names of his accomplices, Joseph Suerte and Ade Lucero, since he was angry at them for leaving him behind. He also said most of the time he was not given a share of the loot.

"Na-timingan ra gyud nga ako ra usa ang nadakpan kay ako ra may dako, unya sila mga bata apan mipya-it na lang gyud ko kay kanunay ko nilang gitabla," he said.

A follow-up operation was then conducted last Saturday night after the suspect accompanied the policemen to the house of Suerte, the alleged leader of the burglars, in sitio Kanipaan, barangay Basak-Pardo. But Suerte was forewarned of the policemen coming and was able to escape.

Seventeen receipts of pawned jewelry were recovered in the house as well as assorted appliances.

Among the stolen appliances that were recovered were five VCD-DVD components, a DVD player, a Panasonic 21-inch colored television and a NEC laptop computer.

Jeprox admitted he started stealing when he was still 11 years old and has been jailed at the Operation Second Chance four times. He said his arrest last Friday was his fifth.

He said that he and his group broke into houses either before dawn or early afternoon, taking appliances and jewelry mostly.

Any jewelry they can escape with is immediately pawned while appliances are sold to residents of Pardo and Inayawan.

Pardo Police chief Sr. Supt. Aureo Sanchez said that they have long identified the group but have not been able to arrest them until now.

Sanchez said that after Jeprox was arrested, two complainants went to his office to claim their items.

He said the stolen laptop was owned by Esterlina Garong, a city health employee while Bernadita Bolodo claimed she owned the pawned jewelry.

Cases of illegal possession of firearms, violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban, concealing of deadly weapons and robbery will be filed against the suspect who is currently detained at the city police office stockade.

Robbery cases will also be filed against his companions even if they are at large.

The suspect also admitted to being a member of a certain gang called the Bloods. - Flor Z. Perolina/BRP