2 held for series of Cebu hotel thefts

CEBU CITY—A man wanted in the United States for theft and his alleged accomplice were arrested for a series of thefts in hotels and pension houses in Cebu that police said the suspects pulled off to finance their addiction to drugs.

One of the arrested men, Michael Reyes, is wanted in the US, where his family is based, for a theft case.

Reyes, 29, and Edward Teves, 28, are now detained at the Cebu City Police Office after they were charged with illegal possession of a .45 caliber pistol and a .357 revolver that were seized from them during a raid that led to their arrest on a restaurant here on Tuesday.

The two would also be charged with theft and illegal drug use and possession, said Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the city police’s intelligence section.

Reyes and Teves had tried to hide in the restaurant where they were arrested.

The license plate of the car that the suspects were using, a Toyota Vios, gave them away. A police officer reported that the license plate in the suspects’ car matched that of the getaway vehicle that was used in a robbery in Barangay (village) Labangon on Monday.

Police recovered from the suspects’ car four sachets of a white substance believed to be “shabu,” drug paraphernalia, laptops, mobile phones, passports, hotel room keys and IDs of different people believed to be the suspects’ victims.

Reyes and Teves were accused of stealing a flat TV set and remote control inside Allure Hotel in Mandaue City on Monday.

They also allegedly took the bag of a receptionist of Monarco’s Spa in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. They also face charges for the theft of a bag that an Australian and his Filipina wife claimed were theirs and which was found in the trunk of the suspects’ car.

Reyes admitted that he took the items but said he was willing to return these to settle the case.

He said he resorted to stealing because he didn’t have the money for his son’s birthday.

Reyes, however, didn’t answer when asked if he owned the drugs found in the car. He admitted he used drugs but quit after he underwent rehabilitation.

Santander said he was informed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that the US Homeland Security was hunting Reyes who had been ordered arrested by a US court for theft. No details were immediately available on the US case.

Santander said police would coordinate with US authorities on Reyes’ case.