Man steals, escapes in cop car

While being invited for questioning

CEBU, Philippines — A man was able to escape from policemen last Sunday afternoon in Barangay Lutac, City of Naga, after commandeering a patrol car while he was being invited for questioning.

Earlier, police received a complaint from the 15-year-old live-in partner of Ricarti Lascuña Cantano, 25, a resident of Sitio Cadauhan, Barangay Lutac, that he kept throwing their clothes outside their house.

Chief Inspector Roderick Gonzales, acting chief of the City of Naga Police, said around 4 p.m. Sunday, two of his personnel, one from the Women and Children Protection Desk and one from Special Weapon and Tactics team, accompanied by a representative from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, went to Sitio Cadauhan, to invite the suspect to the station.

The suspect first got on the back of the patrol car, a Toyota Hilux. After they drove off he allegedly became unruly, the police stopped to pacify him and transfer him inside.

There, the suspect took control of the patrol car and sped away leaving the operatives behind.

"At the middle of the road, the person become so unruly we had to transfer the suspect inside the vehicle kasi he was at first sa backride, the police were afraid na mahuhulog po because they are traveling at that time. And during the transfer of the suspect, that's the time na nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na makontrol ng suspect ang ating sasakyan," said Cebu Provincial Police Office director Manuel Abrugena.

Abrugena immediately went to City of Naga on Sunday to personally supervise the hot pursuit operation against the suspect.

It was around 6 p.m. on Sunday when the abandoned patrol car was recovered in a quarry site in Sitio Luym, Barangay West Poblacion, City of Naga, after a report from a motorcycle-for-hire driver.

Cantano was arrested yesterday afternoon after a concerned citizen reported seeing him in Barangay West Poblacion. He did not resist arrest.

"Nahadlok daw siya sa police kaya niya nagawa iyun," said Gonzales.

Abrugena said he already ordered the two police officers investigated for possible lapses that led to the commandeering of the police vehicle by the suspect.

"Ang nakita po natin base doon sa spot report na natanggap mula sa chief of police, dalawang police lang ang nag-respond which is supposed to be a minimum of one team. Ang one team should be at least seven to 10 personnel," said Abrugena.

He said that the two policemen will be reassigned temporarily to the CPPO Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit while the investigation is still ongoing.

Cantano is now detained in City of Naga police station awaiting charges for carnapping. (FREEMAN)