Car theft gang leader flees a day after arrest

The alleged leader of the notorious "Mechure" car theft syndicate escaped from his Traffic Management Group (TMG) jailers in Cavite last Friday, just a day after his arrest.

The suspect, Charlie Mechure II, managed to slip past his guards at the TMG’s Cavite office in Imus town at about 4 p.m. and escaped on board a car driven by a certain Christine Narcida, according to reports reaching Camp Crame.

The reports said Mechure simply walked out of his cell without handcuffs and boarded the car.

The TMG guard manning the gate was said to be too slow in lowering the gate’s bar to block the escape.

Prior to Mechure’s escape, one of his TMG guards even reportedly allowed him to use his (the guard’s) cellphone in contacting Narcida.

Camp Crame probers were validating reports that Mechure’s guards, whose identities were withheld, were allegedly bribed with P3 million to allow him to escape.

Mechure’s group operates in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. The group reportely boasts of alleged connections with certain police officials.

The suspect was arrested at a checkpoint at Lalaan Village in Silang, Cavite last Thursday. The four passengers of the Mitsubishi Galant he was driving were briefly detained but were later released due to lack of evidence.