Teen in cellphone theft first ‘catch’ of Pasay City surveillance cameras

A teenager became the first “catch” of a recently installed surveillance camera system in Pasay City after he was arrested for running off with a passerby’s cellphone.

John Mark Fernandez, 18, of Maricaban ended up behind bars following the botched theft near the Giselle Park Plaza in the vicinity of the EDSA-Taft Rotunda area.

It may be recalled that last May 29, the Philippine National Police installed 32 surveillance cameras in the area in partnership with the private sector as part of its Safe KAM project.

Chief Supt. Wilfredo Franco, the PNP spokesperson, said Fernandez, a suspected member of the Batang City Jail, was caught with his victim’s cellphone and was also shown committing the theft based on footage from a surveillance camera installed last month.

The incident happened last June 2 at around 3 p.m. as passerby Ricky Esguerra was walking near Giselle Park Plaza with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Fernandez deftly stole the victim’s cellphone, which was inside one of the backpack’s pockets, and ran off.

Fortunately, PO1 Walid Javier was on foot patrol in the area and was approached by Esguerra for help in recovering his cellphone from the thief.

Javier pursued the suspect through the crowded EDSA-Taft Rotunda area and arrested Fernandez, who was caught red-handed with the victim’s Asus Zenfon 5 cellphone.

Franco said the suspect was then brought to a police community precinct in Baclaran for investigation.

“Upon review of the surveillance camera footage, the victim confirmed that the suspect was the one following him and the same person who took his cellphone,” the PNP spokesperson said, adding that a robbery case has been filed against Fernandez.

The suspect’s arrest came less than a week after the installation of 32 closed circuit television cameras along footbridges, jeepney and bus terminals, and train stations in the EDSA-Taft Rotunda area Pasay City as a preventive measure against crime in the high density area and to aid in arresting criminals.

An estimated million people pass by the EDSA-Taft Rotunda every day.

The surveillance cameras, worth P650,000, were installed to allow authorities to have “eyes” in walkways and footbridges at the busy intersection with images captured in real time. Monitoring will be done through digital recording playback.

The Safe KAM project will be also implemented in the University Belt area and the De La Salle University along Taft Avenue in Manila, Monumento in Caloocan City, MRT North Edsa Station – West Avenue and EDSA Cubao – Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City, and the Redemptorist Church area in Baclaran, Pasay City. SFM