A car wash boy’s plan to elope with his girlfriend was derailed after he was caught in the act of robbing his employer yesterday of P17 million worth of cash and valuables in Pasig City.
The suspect, Jomay Tigue, 23, of Batasan, Sandigang Fairview, Quezon City was caught by his employer, Allan Alvarez, 40, a businessman.
Recovered from Tigue’s possession were 500,000 Turkish lira (worth at least P17 million); a Nokia cell phone; a pair of rubber shoes; and a piggy bank with an undetermined amount of cash.
At the police station, Tigue admitted the crime, saying that he needed the money because he and his girlfriend are planning to elope.
He admitted he has a relationship with one of his employer’s housemaids. Police kept the identity of the housemaid a secret.
Because he was Alvarez’s employee, Tigue was allowed to walk in and out of the businessman’s house in Barangay Sta. Lucia, Pasig City.
Previously, Alvarez noted that expensive items inside his house have gone missing. He then learned from his housemaid that Tigue was asking her to elope with him, prompting Alvarez to suspect that Tigue who was behind the petty robbery in his house.
When Tigue entered Alvarez residence at 2 a.m. yesterday, he was not aware that Arago Ballilia, 21, a warehouse man, was closely monitoring him. When Tigue took the money, Aballilia signaled Alvarez and the duo arrested the suspect, who did not resist arrest.
Alvarez told police Tigue yielded all the items reported missing from his house over the past few days. Tigue is currently detained at the Pasig City police as charges of qualified theft are being readied against him.