Police records identified the suspect as Ki Suk Yoon, billeted at the Cityland Condominium, Buendia Avenue, Makati, and reportedly an illegal alien.
Ki was arrested at around 2 p.m. while playing at the casino of the Grand Boulevard Hotel, along Roxas Boulevard.
The arrest was based on a complaint filed by Kim Yong Taek, who told the police that Ki stole the money in the early morning of July 6, said case investigator Senior Police Officer SPO1 Antonio Canoy.
Investigation showed that the suspect befriended the victim, a first time tourist in the country, at a casino inside the hotel in Manila last July 4.
The following day, the two played at the casino again, this time at the Heritage Hotel along Roxas Boulevard, where Kim was billeted.
At around 3 a.m., Kim went up to his room to go to sleep and left the suspect at the casino. When the victim woke up three hours later, he discovered that his money, which were in different denominations, missing.
The hotel’s security camera helped the police and Kim identify the suspect, investigation said. Despite the video tape as proof, the suspect vehemently denied taking the money.
Ki has been charged with theft and is now detained at the Pasay City police detention cell. – Nikko Dizon