Con men take jewelry from Sampaloc woman

A 74-year-old woman lost some P532,000 in assorted jewelry to four suspected members of the notorious "Budol-Budol" robbery gang in Sampaloc, Manila, yesterday morning.

Reports reaching the Western Police District-General Assignments Section identified the victim as Consolacion Paraoan, of 851 Craig St., Sampaloc, Manila.

According to Senior Police Officer 2 Cecilio Sacorum, the victim was on her way out of the NSPS Church in Instruccion street in Sampaloc at about 7 a.m. when she was met by a man who befriended her.

Police said the suspect claimed to be a boat owner and balikbayan from Los Angeles, California. The suspect, police said, then asked the victim if she could help him buy a fire extinguisher for his boat and offered her a commission in return.

Soon after, three other suspects, two men and a woman joined their conversation. The three other suspects also befriended the victim and convinced her to accept the offer. The man who claimed to be a boat owner then showed a her a clutch bag filled with bundles of money.

The boat owner then told the victim that he would entrust the money to her as he would be going with the other suspects in scouting for a fire extinguisher. The suspect told Paraoan that he would return later for his money.

But apparently to make sure that his money will be intact, the suspect asked for the victim’s jewelry for safekeeping.

Police said the victim and the suspects then went back to the former’s house where the exchange took place. The suspects then left the house with the victim’s jewelry that include gold rings, a necklace, earrings and a diamond ring.

To her shock, the victim later found out that the bundled cash inside the clutch bag were just newspaper cut-outs. Police are now tracking down the suspects.

Meanwhile, a security guard was shot dead by three still-unidentified men at the parking lot of a popular sauna bath fitness center in Malate, Manila, the other night.

Reports from the Western Police District-Homicide Section identified the fatality a Reynato Gagascas, alias "Nato," 40, of 1363 La Torres St., Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Investigation showed that the victim, employed with the Magestic Security and Protective Agency, was on duty at the Manila Bay Health and Fitness Center located along Lawin street about 10 p.m. when the incident happened.

Police said the victim was on patrol at the health center’s parking lot when the suspects, armed with .38 caliber revolvers, approached the victim and shot him at close range. The suspects fled on foot while Gagascas was rushed to the Ospital ng Maynila.

Gagascas died upon arrival at the hospital due to a gunshot wound to the chest. Police are still determining the motive behind the case.