Drive vs street crimes nets 3 including sexagenarian

The intensified drive against street crimes resulted in the apprehension of three suspected robbers in Manila yesterday, including a male sexagenarian who ransacked the house of a Bangladeshi national.

Police identified the suspects as Anthony Cabatu, 19, of 89 Loreto st., Sampaloc; Jeremiah Loyola, 19, of 87 Loreto st., Sampaloc; and Thomas Pascual, 66, of 1357 Bambang st., Sta. Cruz.

Cabatu and Loyola were nabbed after robbing a taxi driver of his earnings, while Pascual was apprehended by the police while bringing out a color television set from the room of a Bangladeshi national.

Investigation conducted by SPO2 Jesse Oliveros showed that at about 9 a.m. yesterday, Shaik Hasib, 23, a Bangladeshi student, went out of his rented room at 646 M.V. de los Santos st., Sampaloc to attend his classes.

Pascual, whom police said is a notorious robber, was able to gain entry inside the building and with the use of an improvised picklock was able to destroy the lock of Hasib’s room.

Pascual was already leaving the building premises carrying the television set when he was spotted by roving policemen.

Meanwhile, operatives of the University Belt police detachment led by Chief Inspector Larry de los Arcos nabbed Cabatu and Loyola after their attention was caught by shouts of "Holdup, holdup" from taxi driver Nestor Ramos.

Ramos told police three youths boarded his taxi in Quezon City and when they reached F. Cayco street in Sampaloc, Manila the thieves announced the heist.

The knife-wielding group took his earnings worth P1,800 and scampered to a dark alley.

PO1 Sonny Paragas, PO2 Danilo Magtaan and PO2 Francisco Neri combed the alley and later found the two suspects hiding in an abandoned house.

The two surrendered peacefully while their third companion was able to elude pursuing policemen.

The three suspects were charged with robbery with P100,000 bail bond each.