Police said the teenagers, identified only as Cesar, Judy and Bunny, stole the brass bell from the belfry of the San Pablo Apostol Church in Velasquez, Tondo last Saturday at about 9 p.m. with the help of two other teenagers.
The theft of the bell was discovered by patrolling barangay watchmen in the early hours of Sunday as the church was preparing to begin services.
Police said they were led to the suspects when they traced the owners of a pair of rubber slippers left at the crime scene. The slippers were later traced to Judy.
Police sources said the teenagers sold the bell, worth at least P30,000 to support, their drug habit. The two other suspects are now being tracked down. – Mike Frialde