Man in 8 QC heists sought

QCPD sketch of the suspect in eight attacks

MANILA, Philippines—The police have formed a team to go after a common suspect in the robbery of eight establishments in Quezon City since Dec. 23, with the last heist resulting in the death of a Korean woman who was shot Monday when she refused to give up her cell phone.

Aside from creating a task group on the killing of Mi Kyung Park, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) also released on Tuesday the artist’s sketch of the suspect based on descriptions given by witnesses.

QCPD spokesperson Senior Insp. Maricar Taqueban said probers already have a lead on the identity of the robber who held up five of the establishments by himself and the rest with an accomplice.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) head Chief Insp. Rodel Marcelo said that the suspect and his partner, whom the police were also close to identifying, targeted shops with a small staff and no security guards.

Both men pretended to be customers and, drawing guns, declared a heist and herded their victims into a room where they were either tied up or ordered to strip to prevent their escape.

In two of the five heists where the suspect acted alone, he molested or raped the establishment’s staffers. This included the latest robbery at Beanleaf café on Holy Spirit Drive, Don Antonio Heights, around noon Monday.

The suspect shot the 45-year-old Park, a businesswoman, after she walked into the establishment, unaware that it was being robbed.

The series of robberies attributed to the suspect and his cohort started on Dec. 23 at the Genilo Derma Solution on Maginhawa Street in UP Village. On Jan. 22, the suspect was alone when he held up Fiesta Food Inc. on East Avenue, followed by Kafé Hugo and the Le Joyz Spa, both on Tomas Morato.

On Jan. 26, he robbed the Infinitea branch on Regalado Avenue in Barangay Fairview with his cohort. On Feb. 2, they struck again at the Hoy, Panga! restaurant on Commonwealth Avenue. The suspect, however, was alone when he held up the VM Designs furniture store on Katipunan Avenue on Jan. 27 and raped one of the three female staffers.