Police trying to identify brains behind car thefts in Quezon City
MANILA, Philippines—Authorities said they are trying to identify the brains behind the rampant car thefts in Quezon City, after police arrested several members of a carjacking group that has stolen at least 32 vehicles since January.
Chief Superintendent George Regis, head of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said this on Tuesday after he presented to media 11 of the 14 vehicles they had recovered from five suspected car thieves.
Regis said operatives from the QCPD District Anti-Carnapping Unit (DACU) recovered on Monday a red Mistubishi Montero (NCQ-305) from suspects Joey Villanueva and Jonathan Rodriguez in Parkway Village, Quezon City. The vehicle was taken at gunpoint from its owner Cecilia Manalastas-Manasan in front of her Quezon City home last June 9.
The two suspects told authorities that a certain Francis Briones was behind the car theft. Earlier last Saturday police nabbed Briones along Mother Ignacia Avenue in Quezon City. Regis said Briones had informed them about a brand-new Mitsubishi Montero that his group had stolen in Quezon City.
Briones, according to Regis, revealed that the vehicle was “delivered” to two men who went by the aliases Nonoy and Rommel at the Ina Executive Homes in Parañaque City. He said that members of the Southern Police District and the QCPD recovered the blue Mitsubishi Montero from Alexander Aquino and Rommel Flores also on Monday.
“We believe that the Briones Carnapping Group is behind most of the car-theft cases in Quezon City. They steal high-end, luxury vehicles,” said Regis.
The QCPD director described the group’s modus operandi as either “forcibly taking the vehicle or stealing it while it is parked. (We) have reports of 26 vehicles that were stolen while parked and six forcibly taken (from their owners).”
Regis, however, expressed the belief that Briones was just taking orders from someone. He said they are trying to identify this person. “(Briones) gives the orders on what make and model of vehicles to steal… (but) he seems to be taking orders from someone else and we are also looking into that,” he said.
Regis warned car thieves to “stay away from Quezon City,” as the police “have an expanded anti-carnapping unit with many vehicles and dedicated officers on patrol.”
