Police: Watch out for ‘Bukas Kotse Gang’

Have tinted windows. Don’t leave valuables inside the car. And always be on the lookout for suspicious characters in the parking lot.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillammac, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office, gave these tips in the wake of last Saturday afternoon’s break-in by bukas kotse gang members of a parked Starex vehicle in A.S. Fortuna Street, barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

A facial composite of one of the suspects was produced by Mandaue City police yesterday.

Police said the suspect was believed to be 50 years old, fair-skinned with wrinkles on his forehead, has a bulging stomach and stands 5’4”. The suspect opened the Starex van owned by 54-year-old Eulalia Uy, a resident of Consolacion town.

Chief Insp. Rex Lomente, chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) of the Mandaue City police, said a witness confirmed that a Ford Explorer and Pajero were parked between the Starex van.

The witness told Cebu Daily News that he talked with the suspect while he was roaming around the parking lot at 2 p.m.

The two vehicles had tinted windows.

Uy went to an establishment in A.S. Fortuna to buy something and was shocked to see the passenger door open when she returned.

Taken from the car were one HP laptop worth P35,000, one camera worth P22,000, documents, credit cards and an an urn containing her father’s ashes.

The urn, credit cards and other documents were found in St. Therese Church in barangay Lahug, Cebu City, the other day.

This developed as Talisay City police reported another bukas kotse incident in a mall in barangay Lawaan II, Talisay City.

Cristina Jaena, 25, told police that she parked her white Fortuner vehicle bearing plate number 7JH-613 at the mall while she went to a gym.

The left window of her car was broken and her bag was stolen.

The bag contained her cell phone, P3,500 cash and other items./With Correspondents Chito O. Aragon and Gabriel C. Bonjoc