QC cops probe ‘carjack me’ cases

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) anti-carjacking unit is looking into reports that people are again making false claims that their vehicle had been carjacked or stolen.

QCPD anti-carjacking chief Inspector Nicolas Angelo said they are conducting further investigation of reported carjacking incidents to determine if they are “carjack me” cases – people making up stories to account for a repossessed or pawned vehicle, or for possible insurance scams.

He added that the renewed investigation was initiated after three cars were reported carjacked from the owner’s house during the past week.

Earlier this year, the police launched a manhunt for a man who reported two fictitious carjacking incidents.

QCPD chief Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula said that on Dec. 10, 2006, a certain Andre Delgado, 28, a resident of 18 Vyron street in Filinvest II, Barangay Batasan Hills, told the QCPD anti-carjacking unit that armed men forcibly took his Toyota Fortuner near the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Scout Fuentebella street. The Fortuner had no license plates but bore conduction sticker CA-4871.

Last Jan. 13, a certain Andre de Vera, a resident of 38 Denver street in Filinvest II told the QCPD Station 10 in Kamuning that his brown Toyota Fortuner, with conduction sticker CA-4361, was forcibly taken from him.

However, the QCPD found out from the Land Transportation Office that conduction sticker CA-4871 was actually issued to an Isuzu Hi-Lander van owned by Moree Cleofas, while CA-4361 was issued to another Isuzu Hi-Lander owned by Ma. Cristina Dumlao.

Quezon City investigators also learned that Delgado and De Vera were one and the same person, and that both names were fictitious.

There were a total of 175 vehicles reported carjacked in Quezon City in 2006, fewer than 312 incidents reported in 2005.  – Perseus Echeminada