CEBU, Philippines - A delivery van was stolen in broad daylight from a mall in Mandaue City last Friday morning but was recovered less than an hour later, thanks to Global Positioning System (GPS).
Senior Police Officer 3 Renerio Masocol Jr. of the Carmen police said they received a call from one Angel Sanchez of Cold Link Asia Logistics Corporation at around 9:05 a.m. to inform them about the theft and to give them a heads up that the van was tracked via GPS heading to northern Cebu.
A team then positioned along the national highway in Barangay Poblacion and spotted the Mitsu-bishi Canter with temporary plate number 075306 at around 9:50 a.m.
Masocol who led the team said the driver, identified later as Jonathan Garay, a former overseas Filipino worker, did not resist when he was ordered to stop the vehicle. “Na-rattle siya. Siya ra man isa. Hinay ra siya og padagan kay naa pa man sakyanan sa iyang atubangan,” Masocol said.
They confirmed further that the van was stolen when Garay failed to present the keys to the van’s storage, Masocol added.
The van contained dressed chicken for delivery to fast food branches at the mall in Mandaue City.
The police also confiscated a six-inch yellow cutter blade and a blue flash drive from Garay. The suspect was first brought to the Carmen Police Station before he was turned over to Station 1 of the Mandaue City Police Office that same morning.
NOT THE FIRST
As it turned out, it was not the first time Garay stole a vehicle.
Senior Inspector Jimmy Fortes of the Mandaue City Police said Garay had admitted during interrogation that he also stole the Mitsubishi delivery van of a water company parked along A.C. Cortes Street, Barangay Maguikay last December 14.
He reportedly stole the vehicle when the driver went into a pawnshop to send money to his mother.
The Mandaue police proceeded to Naga City in the hopes to recover the van but the owner of the house where Garay stayed temporarily informed them that the vehicle was brought to Lapu-Lapu City to Garay’s brother. The van was recovered eventually last Friday evening.
Fortes said they will investigate the case further to determine the extent of Garay’s activities.
“Dati ni siya OFW gani kadto iyang gisampahan sa Naga dati niyang kauban sa gawas apan ning mga panghitabo, atong tan-awon kun naa ba ni siya’y derogatory record ilabi na didto sa ila sa Butuan,” Fortes said.
“Ato sang sutaon ron kun tripping lang ba ning iya kay solo flight ra man dyud siya unya mao ra man sad iyang panghilabtan kining mga sakyanan nga nag-andar na daan,” Fortes added.
Garay is facing carnapping charges. — /JMO (FREEMAN)