Talamban gasoline station robbery suspect arrested

CEBU, Philippines - One of the suspects in the robbery of a gasoline station in Talamban, Cebu City has been arrested, thanks to the closed-circuit television footage.

Aside from being captured by the CCTV camera while taking away their loot, the arrested suspect was also positively identified by the pump attendant of the Petron gasoline station as one of those responsible for the robbery. 

Melvin Igot Roble, 33, of Barangay T. Padilla was arrested by the police Sunday midnight following a tip from an unidentified person. Confiscated from him were a fragmentation grenade and a 357 caliber revolver.

Roble, an ex-convict, was identified by witnesses and through CCTV footage despite wearing a helmet during the robbery.

The police found Roble inside his house and arrested him after they found a .357 caliber revolver, a fragmentation grenade, and drug paraphernalia in his possession.

Senior Superintendent Noli Romana, in a press conference, said Roble is also a suspect in a series of robberies in Cebu.

Romana said the suspect had been convicted of violating Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and has been recently released.

Before the suspect was presented to the media, Romana ordered the showing of the CCTV footage that allegedly captured the suspect taking away the money from the cashier’s booth.

The person captured by the CCTV camera was wearing a helmet and fits the facial composition of Roble.

Superintendent Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch chief, said the pump attendant also positively identified the suspect before he was presented to Romana after his arrest.

Before he was arrested, CIB personnel conducted a surveillance operation against Roble. When they found out that Roble was inside his house, they immediately arrested the suspect, who did not resist.

Chief Inspector David Senor, chief of Theft and Robbery Section (TRS), said they will check on previous robbery cases of the suspect.

The other suspect, the one who disarmed the security guard, is still at large.

Roble denied responsible for the robbery, saying he was sleeping when it happened.

He also denied owning the fragmentation grenade and the caliber .357 revolver but admitted that police seized drug paraphernalia from him.

Roble will be facing charges for robbery, violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and the Comprehensive Law of Firearms and Ammunitions. (FREEMAN)