Pampanga youths steal vault containing P2.8M, nabbed hours later

City of San Fernando, Pampanga (Google maps)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The police in this Pampanga capital recovered P2.8 million in cash on Monday (May 8), a few hours after the money was stolen from a family here by two thieves who had juvenile accomplices.

A vault, where the money was sealed, was taken from the house of Luz Castañeda and her nephew Harvey Jon Roi Tirante before noon in Barangay (village) San Nicolas.

But as Castañeda, 52, was reporting the break-in at the San Fernando police station, a man showed up carrying her vault, said Supt. Jean Fajardo, police chief in this city.

Jorney Acevedo, 29, said he was paid P1,000 to open and then dispose of the vault by suspects Lester Mangoba, 19, and Joebren Manaloto 22, who visited his house at 1 p.m.

Mangoba and Manaloto were later caught in Castañeda’s neighborhood. The police said Mangoba possessed P1.436 million, while P50,000 was seized from Manaloto.

During interrogation, Mangoba revealed that the rest of the money was with his 16-year old cousin who was arrested with his 16-year-old girlfriend in a motel with P1.247 million.

A minor-aged accomplice led the police to where the young couple had been hiding, after she turned over P2,340 of the stolen money.

The police have not yet accounted for a gold necklace and P64,660 in cash during an inventory, Fajardo said.  SFM