The police arrested two male teenagers for allegedly stealing three water meters along Tres de Abril Street, barangay Labangon, around 2 a.m. yesterday.
The two were identified as Marlon Hortilano, 18, and Bernie Magdasal, 19, both residents of sitio Bugnay, Labangon.
SPO2 Socrates Bacalso of the Punta Princesa police station said they believe that Hortilano and Magdasal are members of a group that steals and sells water meters. Residents said the boys spend more of the time in the streets than at home.
It was the first time the two were arrested despite being reported many times allegedly for the same offense. Both Hortilano and Magdasal are now detained in the Punta Princesa police station.
Bacalso said that Hortilano’s mother had requested the police to keep her son in jail to teach him a lesson and deter him from committing the crime again. —Trex Eden O. Ignacio, UP intern/RAE