Caught on camera

A hidden security camera led to the arrest on Monday afternoon of a store manager who was caught on tape pocketing the restaurant’s cash earnings of P275,000.

Darwin Verdera, 35, a manager of Classic Savory Restaurant at SM San Lazaro in Manila who was still undergoing training, was picked up by members of the Manila Police District (MPD) theft and robbery section at his house in Caloocan City.

Although none of the stolen cash was recovered from him, Verdera was charged with qualified theft at the city prosecutor’s office yesterday.

Insp. Jimmy Labarda of the MPD theft and robbery section said the theft happened at around 9 p.m. on Sunday as the restaurant was closing down for the day.

“In the video, Verdera positioned himself behind the counter where the cash vault was concealed underneath. He kept on looking around and watching the restaurant manager who was standing across him and had his back turned, giving out instructions to other employees. Verdera then started taking money from the vault and stuffing them inside his pants pockets,” Labarda told the Inquirer.

The loss of the money was discovered on Monday morning, prompting store officials to review the footage taken by a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera the day before.

“He (Verdera) probably did not know there was a CCTV camera. He has only been employed in the restaurant for a month,” Labarda said, adding that the suspect denied taking the money despite the evidence against him.