The P24,000 lotto betting machine recovered by police after a robbery in Novaliches, Quezon City. (Photo courtesy of QCPD Station 4)
Police arrested two men who allegedly stole a lotto betting machine worth P24,000 in Novaliches, Quezon City, while their accomplice remains at large.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said the suspects broke into a lotto outlet on Kingsport Avenue in Barangay Bagbag in the early morning of May 20, destroying the padlock before taking the betting machine.
Investigation showed that a 33-year-old suspect acted as lookout while his 25-year-old companion entered the establishment and took the machine, although the theft was not captured on CCTV footage.
The incident was discovered before 8:00 a.m. on the same day when an employee arrived for work and found the padlock damaged and the betting machine missing, according to Capt. Jonathan Reyes, Follow-up Section chief of the Novaliches Police Station.
During follow-up operations, police traced the suspects and arrested them at around 3:00 p.m. on May 21 in Coronel Compound, Barangay Bagbag, where the stolen machine was also recovered.
Reyes said a 29-year-old accomplice remains at large and is now the subject of a manhunt.
He added that all three suspects have previous cases of theft, illegal gambling, and illegal drugs.
The 25-year-old suspect admitted taking the machine, claiming he acted on impulse, while the 33-year-old suspect declined to give a detailed statement and deferred to court proceedings.
Charges of robbery are being prepared against the suspects.