A man, who tried to solicit sex from a cellphone snatching victim in return for the mobile phone, is now languishing in jail and could face charges more serious than just theft.
Hubert Campana, a PUJ driver from Cabiangon, Pinamungajan, was arrested by police and barangay tanods in the downtown area while he was trying to flee with the victim in a taxicab.
Stephanie Reynes, 18 years old of Pasencia Compound, Tipolo, Mandaue City, said she noticed that she lost her phone while onboard a PUJ bound for Banilad last Monday morning.
When she and her friends tried to call the number, it was answered by a man, who called himself “James.”
The man reportedly agreed to return the phone if the victim would have sex with him, which she pretended to agree to.
The suspect instructed the victim to meet him in a mall in Mabolo last Tuesday morning, but changed the meeting place and time.
He told Reynes to instead meet him at a mall along Colon Street that afternoon and gave further instructions that she should be alone.
He then again told the victim to instead meet him at another mall along Leon Kilat St. at 5 p.m. that day.
The victim immediately sought the assistance of SPO1 Filomeno Mendaros of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Branch (CIIB), who happened to pass by the area.
Mendaros, who was off-duty at that time, tried to coordinate with his unit for a possible entrapment operation.
Since there wasn’t time to send a team to assist him, he sought the help of two barangay tanods who were in the area.
The policeman stood near the mall entrance while Reynes, who was trying to call the suspect, could not anymore contact him.
After a while, a man approached the victim and tried to pull her towards a waiting taxicab.
It was at this point that Mendaros together with the tanods made the arrest.
Recovered from Campana’s possession was the victim’s cellular phone worth P3,000.
Sr. Inspector David Señor of the Operations Branch-Cebu City Police Office said that there are three reported incidents of the same modus operandi.
He added that this is the first that the suspect has been apprehended, though. —Trex Eden O. Ignacio, UP Mass Comm Intern/NLQ