4 motorcycle thieves fall in QC

Anti-car theft and intelligence operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested the other night four men shortly after they forcibly took a motorcycle from its owner in front of a restaurant near West Avenue.

In a report to QCPD director Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan Jr., Superintendent Roger James Brillantes, District Intelligence and Investigation chief, identified the suspects as Noel Tapang, Raul Guevarra, Manolito de la Cruz and Eduardo de la Cruz. They were arrested on board their get-away vehicle, a blue Toyota Lite Ace with plate number PTU 460.

Initial police investigation revealed that Marvin Arciaga, a resident of Mandaluyong City, sought police assistance after his Honda Wave motorcycle (QU 7613) was forcibly taken in front a restaurant near the old Delta theater.

Brillantes said a joint police team, led by Inspector Dante Young of the intelligence division, Senior Inspector Gerry Estacio of Station 2 and Angelo Nicolas of the anti-car theft division, conducted a follow-up operation which resulted in the arrest of the suspects.

Meanwhile, four suspects in a robbery along the C-5 Road in Taguig City were arrested by police last Wednesday night.

Police Officer 2 Eddie Tirazona, officer-on-case, identified the suspects as Richard Banico, 17; Bonifacio Gepica, 23; Nerio Duran, 23; and Ryan Orine, 22, all residents of Taguig City.

Tirazona said that around 9 p.m., a traffic mobile patrol group, led by Superintendent Herbert Hernandez, was conducting a routine visibility patrol along the stretch of C-5 Road near the Commando Bridge in Barangay Ususan, when the officers chanced upon the suspects robbing passengers of a jeepney.

The mobile unit chased the passenger jeepney and apprehended the four suspects.

Chief Inspector Edgardo Mendoza, of the Taguig police investigation division, said robbery-holdup charges are now being readied against the suspects, who are currently detained at the city jail. — With Rhodina Villanueva