Widow’s sob story just a story after all...

For sure, Caloocan jail detainee Lorena Santiago’s sob story yesterday pulled heartstrings, leading some well-meaning people to turn into willing Good Samaritians.

But as it turned out, Santiago, who was arrested for snatching a gold necklace last Monday in Malabon City allegedly to pay for her son’s hospital bills, was lying through her teeth – catching the Good Samaritans and red-faced Malabon policemen by surprise.

PO2 Peter Rios, the police investigator who broke Santiango’s "sad story" to reporters, revealed that a group of doctors from the Chinese General Hospital called him up yesterday at around 10:30 a.m. offering financial assistance after reading Santiago’s story in The Philippine STAR.

The doctors, Rios added, were even willing to put up Santiago’s bail bond.

Rios said Imee Sison, the woman in charge of the bail section at the Malabon City Prosecutor’s office, volunteered that Santiago’s bail be waived because of her "sorry situation."

"It was a gesture we accepted," Rios said in Filipino. But when the doctors’ liaison officer went to the San Lazaro Hospital where Santiago said her nine-year-old son was confined for meningitis, they discovered that there was no such patient. Santiago’s sob story, it turned out, was a hoax.

"She duped us all," Rios added. "I confronted her in the detention cell afterwards and told her about those people who wanted to help. She remained silent. I told her she had used a worn-out alibi."

Santiago, 32, of Block 38, Lot 21, Martiniko Street, Barangay Longos, Malabon, was arrested by the police Monday for trying to steal a gold necklace worth P8,800 from the Silver Lining Pawnshop located on Sanciangco Street in Barangay Tonsuya.

During police interrogation, Santiago said she was forced to steal the necklace to pay for the hospital bills of her sick son. Santiago said that she has been unable to provide for her three children after her husband died of a lung disease last year.

Yesterday, Santiago was slapped with theft charges.