Woman nabbed for shoplifting P5K worth of toothbrushes

MANILA, Philippines–The stolen items and the amount would have brightened any thief’s smile.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested after a security guard found in her tote bag several toothbrushes worth over P5,000 she allegedly stole from Landmark supermarket inside Trinoma mall in Quezon City on Tuesday afternoon.

Police identified the suspected shoplifter as Joana Centino, a resident of Biñan, Laguna.

Case investigator SPO1 Fernando Lozada of the Masambong police station said security guard Rommel Sabuco, 29, blocked Centino’s path after he noticed her acting suspiciously as she made the rounds of the aisles inside the supermarket.

The security guard told police that at one point, he saw the woman hurriedly grab 18 Oral B toothbrushes from the dental hygiene shelf, stuffed them inside her violet tote bag and strolled away as if nothing happened.

Sabuco blocked Centino as she was about to leave the supermarket without paying for the toothbrushes worth P5,580.

Centino was arrested at 4:30 p.m.

An hour earlier, a jobless man was also nabbed for shoplifting at the SM Hypermart at SM City North Edsa, just across Trinoma.

Lozada identified the suspect as Rowel Silang, 27, of Santolan, Pasig City.

Found hidden in the waistband of the suspect’s pants were eight packs of AAA batteries worth P1,352.

Security guard Aries Escalante, 27, said he noticed Silang roaming around the supermarket then saw the suspect cram the Energizer batteries underneath his shirt and into his pants.

Escalante then accosted Silan him and found the stolen items after frisking him.