Taxi thief nabbed in Tejero

CEBU, Philippines - A man who reportedly stole a taxi was arrested after he was caught driving the vehicle yesterday along Villagonzalo II, Barangay Tejero, Cebu City.

Suspect Romel Montellano, 30, even tried to escape and leave the taxi on the road, but he was caught by bystanders and was turned over to the police.

Montellano was arrested a week after Aerol taxi driver Ernesto Hinonsalao reported to Subangdaku Police Station in Mandaue City that he was robbed of his unit.

Hinonsalao, in an interview yesterday, said he was driving his cab around North Reclamation Area last Wednesday looking for passengers when Montellano flagged him down and asked to be taken near a hotel along Potenciano Larazzabal Ave.

But when they reached the place, the suspect allegedly choked him using his seatbelt and pointed a knife at him while declaring a holdup.

“Pag-abot, gihunong nako sa atubangan sa hotel, request siya move gamay five meters sa entrance. Kalit laman tuok nako sa seatbelt, gitionan ko, ana siya ‘kwarta kwarta ra ni bay,’” Hinonsalao narrated.

He added that the suspect tried to stab him but he parried the attack and ended up being wounded on his hands. He struggled until he was thrown out of the cab while the suspect took over the wheel and sped off.

The victim asked for help from the hotel lobby guard to call the police, but he was allegedly only told that they do not have a number of the police station.

He then decided to take a cab and proceeded to Mandaue City Police Office but was referred to Subangdako Police Station.

In the initial investigation, the police suspected that he was just fabricating stories, which made the victim upset especially when some of the police officers made negative remarks at him.

“Ilang duda ‘tulis me’, bisan asa ko gipasundan ko’g pulis. Usahay pod lagi magpadungog-dungog, tawo ra pod baya ‘ta, masakitan pod ta,” he said.

Yesterday afternoon, while stuck in traffic along Villagonzalo II, some taxi drivers saw a taxi that fit the description of the one allegedly stolen from Hinonsalao. They reported this to the Highway Patrol Group 7.

Senior Superintendent Joselito Macanas, chief of HPG-7, said when his men were about to approach the said taxi that was also stuck in traffic, the suspect driving it appeared to have noticed them, alighted from the cab, and ran away.

Bystanders in the area intercepted the suspect and turned him over to the police.

According to the suspect, he had stolen three taxi units, two of which he had abandoned. He allegedly kept the unit he stole from Hinonsalao, tampered the plate number and changed its name.

He allegedly resorted to carnapping because he lost his job and his brother was hospitalized.

Macanas said the suspect will be facing charges for highway robbery and carnapping. — (FREEMAN)