Woman to face carnapping raps

CEBU, Philippines – A 45-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly took and drove a newly bought Fortuner car parked near Mandaue City Police Office along Don A. Soriano Avenue in Sitio Tribunal, Barangay Centro on Sunday evening.

Maria Milagros Moncrate of Iloilo City was arrested by traffic enforcers Allan Suan and Ronilo Cabasigan who were both detailed at the said place.

The legitimate owner of the car shouted for help when Moncrate suddenly drove the car whose key was still in the ignition switch.

Investigation conducted by SPO2 Marcos Noval of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of MCPO showed that before the incident took place, the Toyota Fortuner car owned by Eileen Almadin was parked near the vicinity of the MCPO.

Almadin's car was driven by her daughter Chatty when it figured in a minor traffic accident last Sunday after they joined the Sinulog revelry. Chatty and the owner of the other car agreed to settle the mishap at the traffic division of MCPO.

Almadin and her daughter Chatty left the car with the key still in the ignition switch. They left it under the care of Almadin's 21-year-old daughter Christy and eight-year-old nephew.

But just as they were on their way to the traffic division, Almadin saw a woman take the driver's seat and was able to drive the car a few meters away. This prompted her to shout and seek for help.

Luckily, both Suan and Cabasigan was stationed in the area and arrested the woman.

"Una niya sakyi ang Fortuner, iyang gi-ingnan ang bata nga 'I'll try to save your life'dayon gipadagan ang sakyanan. Maayo na lang gani kay wa na-rattle si Christy ug iyang na-switch off ang yawe ug nahunong ang sakyanan. Iyang gikuptan ug ayo ang suspect ug giturn-over ngadto sa duha ka enforcers," SPO2 Noval said.

Noval said the suspect was newly released from detention after she was also arrested by in-house guards of Pacific Mall last Friday for shoplifting.

The management of Pacific Mall turned her over to Centro Police Station which detained her at Subangdaku Police Station as it did not have a detention cell for women.

But before the turnover, the woman was made to undergo a medical examination at the Mandaue City Hospital and it was only there that the police learned of her name.

SPO2 Noval said they are still in doubt if it was indeed her real name because during investigation, she was uncooperative and would not answer their questions.

"Ilongga ni siya apan fluent mo-English. Ang nakaapan kay dili motubag sa mga pangutana," Noval added.

During her detention at the Subangdaku station, the police asked the permission of Pacific Mall to have her released and turned over to the City Social Welfare Services after her other detainees also complained of her.

"Maoy reklamo sa ubang nga detained didto nga manghilabot ug nahasol sila busa naka-decide ang police nga i-turn over na lang sa CSWS," Noval said.

But police learned from CSWS that the suspect allegedly choked one of their staff and escaped from their facility.

With the latest incident that she was involved, the suspect is detained again at the Subangdaku station as the complainant was really bent on filing "carnapping case" against her this coming Monday.