Cops identify accomplice of 19-year-old man who stole P2M, then set Manila firm on fire

MANILA, Philippines — Investigators of the Manila Police District have identified the alleged accomplice of a 19-year-old errand boy accused of stealing P2 million before setting his employer’s building in Manila on fire.

Chief Inspector Alex Rodrigo identified him as a certain ‘Red Bull’ of Salud street in Pasay City. Red Bull and his friend Christian Flores were in hiding after the arson on C. Ayala street in Manila last January 3.

Flores worked for Melanie Santos, the owner of the South Coast Marketing firm in Malate. Santos believed the fire that hit their building was an inside job. She added that Flores was their prime suspect as he was the last person to leave the building before flames engulfed it.

The suspected arson happened months after Santos lost her copy of the building keys. Initial check on the building doors show there was no forced entry, meaning the burglar went inside and outside the building smoothly.

“Lesson learned here is to immediately replace all our door locks of the keys go missing, misplace, or lost,” said Senior Police Officer 4 Tony Marcos, chief of the Manila Police District theft and robbery division.

A footage of barangay surveillance camera showed Flores being accompanied by another man, who was not an employee of the firm. Flores was also seen carrying a backpack on his way out.

Flores went to the building despite the lack of order from Santos to go there.

“Our neighbors also told us that he was often seen inside and outside the building weeks before this happened,” Santos said.

Marcos said there would be a manhunt against Flores.

The problem is where to start the search as Santos and her employees do not have pertinent details about Flores, like his address, his family residence, or his parents’ full name.

The fire started about 9:30 a.m. in the building’s stock room, where seamen’s uniforms were piled. It lasted for about two hours. When the flames were put out, they discovered that at least five table drawers and table cabinet have been forced open.

“All of them contained money,” Santos said, adding Flores, as their errand boy, knew where the bundles of money were kept.  SFM