ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Aug. 19 (PNA) -– Police elements captured a notorious robbery group which was behind a series of burglary incidents in the city.

The members of the group were identified as known as Serato, 44; Mark Alvin Rosal, 30, both from Ormoc City; Wesler Sepulveda, 37 of Tangub City; Trifon Camasura, 31 of Pagadian City; and Jun Carlo Mandegro, 28 of Zamboanga del Sur.

The suspects were captured after a failed robbery attempt at a pawnshop in the city.

Investigation results showed that the group attempted to rob the Anjes Pawnshop located on Aviles St. on Tuesday afternoon. However, this was foiled when the establishment’s owner King Aviles pursued them in a shootout. The robbers fled but left behind a motorcycle which is owned by Rosal.

The police tracked the whereabouts of the perpetrators through a motorcycle and managed to capture them individually. Another member, Joseph Magdadaro, evaded arrest and is believed to have fled to Cebu.

According to Police Director Sr. Supt. Ferdinand M. Garay, the group is also the one behind the series of recent armed burglary incidents in the city such as the stickup in the village of Valencia and the midday robbery of a tailor shop and travel agency in Bonifacio St. on Aug. 3. The perpetrators carted PHP200,000 in cash.

Ormoc City Mayor Edward Codilla directed Garay to subject the captives to a drug test in order to identify the possibility of substance abuse as the main reason behind the culprits’ commission of the said crimes.

The mayor also lauded Garay and Sr. Insp. Rio Tan, chief of Police Station 1 for the said feat in the fight against crime in the city.

“I hope our men in uniform maintain our peace and order so that investors will not hesitate to pour their capital in Ormoc because crime is controlled to a minimum,” he said. (PNA)
FFC/BNB/SQM/FELIX N. CODILLA III/EGR