Rob gang member falls

A member of a notorious robbery gang targeting condominium units and houses was arrested yesterday morning after he was linked to a recent break-in where the homeowner lost P1.5 million.

SPO4 Alan de la Cruz, Quezon City Police District theft and robbery section chief, said that Astropher Casanova, 36, is an alleged member of the Ryan Francisco gang which is being blamed for several heists in Metro Manila.

Francisco, the group leader, is detained in Pasay City, also for a robbery case. Casanova was arrested after he attended a hearing for a burglary case at the San Juan City Regional Trial Court.

His co-respondents in the case include Francisco and three other men.

His arrest came after he was positively identified by housemaid Norma Celis as among the robbers who forcibly entered the house of her boss, Nenita Buan, in Barangay West Kamias, Quezon City, recently and made off with P1.5 million in jewelry and other valuables.

Celis said Casanova even pointed a gun at her head after he and two other men managed to get inside the house by pushing their way past her when she opened the gate to let a cabinet installer out.

The three men then herded her and the cabinet installer inside a toilet and Casanova blocked the door with a refrigerator to prevent them from getting out.

The victims were later able to make their way out after 20 minutes but by then, the robbers had already left after ransacking the house. Julie M. Aurelio