Cabbie held for car theft

A taxi driver’s plan to earn cash by stealing his former employer’s car backfired when he was arrested and charged with car theft by the Valenzuela City police.

Joebrin Dimaunahan was charged with violating   Republic Act 6539, or the Anti-Carnapping Law, after he stole the Hyundai Accent of Police Officer 1 Johnel Bunao, a Valenzuela policeman

Bunao also owns JDB Taxi where Dimaunahan used to drive a cab until he was laid off two weeks ago.

Bunao’s car, which was parked outside his house in BCL Homes in Valenzuela, was reported missing on July 16, Police Officer 2 Robin Santos, an investigator of the Valenzuela police said.

A dispatcher of JDB Taxi, Alfred Jatico, told Bunao that he often saw the suspect at the taxi firm’s garage in BCL Homes even after he was retrenched.

Jatico added that he saw the suspect driving the stolen vehicle in neighboring Caloocan City, a day after it was stolen.

Dimaunahan was arrested the following day, after he returned to the garage to see if he could work there again.

Bunao immediately arrested him.

“He said he took the car as he saw an opportunity to steal it,” Santos told the Inquirer.

Dimaunahan also told the police that he gave the car to a certain Jerry  in Dolores, Quezon province, who was supposed to sell the car.

Quezon police, however, found the car abandoned in Pinangdanglayan, Dolores.