2 wounded in Carcar City mall robbery

CEBU CITY—Two security guards were wounded during a robbery inside a mall in Carcar City, southern Cebu on Saturday night by at least 10 armed men who pretended to be customers.

The robbers went inside the Super Metro past 7 p.m., opened fire at the guards and took

pieces of jewelry from one of the shops.

Wounded were Crisanto Martinez and Antonio Fuentes who were immediately brought to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City.

READ: Two wounded in mall robbery in Carcar

Based on the footage of the closed-circuit television (CCTV), at least 10 armed men went inside the establishment and declared a holdup, said Supt. Brindo Nacario, officer in charge of the Carcar City Police Office.

“It only took two minutes after they left with the jewelries and went on board the motorcycles which they used as getaway vehicles,” Nacario said.

When the police arrived, the robbers had already left. The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) secured the area.

In a phone interview, Carcar City Councilor Anthony John Apura said he was near the mall when he heard bursts of gunfire.

“We went to check the area and. according to some witnesses, only six men went inside the establishment,” he said.

Witnesses, he said, saw four of the six men go inside the mall without any firearm.

“They were frisked by the security guards but they didn’t have any firearms,” Apura said.

Two other men outside the mall then fired shots at the two security guards.

Several people witnessed the incident due to a Zumba activity inside the mall, Apura said.

“Many people shouted when they heard the gunshots. They believed the suspects are not from Cebu because they didn’t speak fluent Bisaya,” he said.

Police are investigating the incident. RAM