4 car theft suspects fall in Caloocan

MANILA, Philippines - Police arrested four suspected car thieves at a checkpoint in Camarin, Caloocan City Tuesday afternoon.

City police chief Senior Superintendent Rimas Calixto identified the suspects as Harold Garcia, 25; Bernard Esteves, 24; Paulo Encabo, 31, of Novaliches, Quezon City; and a 16-year-old boy.

The suspects yielded a stolen black motorcycle (9173-OB).

A police team, led by Police Officer 3 Eleuterio Lucaban, was manning a checkpoint along Urduja Village in Barangay 172, Camarin when they flagged down the suspects’ jeep  (TWG-863) driven by Garcia at 2 p.m. Inside the jeep were Esteves, the boy and Mark Primitivo along with the motorcycle.

When the police officers asked for the documents of the motorcycle, Encabo arrived and persuaded the policemen to release his companions.

Encabo even identified himself as an employee of the Armed Forces, prompting the policemen to arrest the suspects. Primitivo managed to escape.

Car theft charges were filed yesterday against the suspects before the Caloocan City prosecutor’s office.