Suspect in botched QC pawnshop heist linked to Taytay robbery in December
MANILA, Philippines — One of the eight suspects nabbed for a botched pawnshop heist in Quezon City was tagged in a hit at a similar establishment in Rizal province in late 2013.
Ortiz Latungan, 48, was positively identified as one of the burglars who broke into the CVM Pawnshop and Money Changer on Kaytikiling, Manila East Road in Barangay (village) Dolores, Taytay last December 16.
Inspector Alan dela Cruz of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, the theft and robbery section head, said a tricycle driver saw the man coming out of a sewer near the pawnshop carrying a bag believed to contain the loot.
Latungan was one of eight people arrested early Tuesday while digging a hole in their rented apartment, which led to a pawnshop in Barangay (village) Commonwealth, Quezon City.
After the arrest, operatives of the Taytay Municipal Police went to the QCPD to verify if the suspects were also the ones in the December burglary.
The Taytay pawnshop lost a still undetermined amount of cash, jewelry and a 12-gauge shotgun.
Aside from Latungan, also arrested were Cecile Ibanez, 28; Eric Secyang, 45; Arthur Bino, 26; Laurence Doyau, 38; Tarex Tayaban, 27; Ruben Sebnangen, 34; and Elmo Bustarde.
The QCPD said the men were miners from the Benguet and Mt Provinces.
The gang were nabbed at a rented apartment on Villongco Street in Barangay Commonwealth, where they dug a 20-meter hole leading to an Ochoa Realica Pawnshop branch nearby.
Dela Cruz believed the group pulled off a robbery at the Emmanuel pawnshop on the same street, a February heist at a pawnshop in Libis, and a September heist at an Ablaza Aldana pawnshop in Barangay Old Balara.
Arresting policemen also seized from the suspects two hand grenades, a hydraulic jack, two hand drills, two crowbars, a head lamp, a liquefied petroleum gas tank with burner, and portable electric fan with lamp.
After the foiled burglary, Dela Cruz said all suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings on Tuesday night for robbery in band, illegal possession of explosives, possession of picklocks, and malicious mischief.
Ibanez, Secyang, Tayaban, and Bustarde were also charged for using fake names under the Anti-Alias Law.
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