By Dhel Nazario
Two suspected members of the "Salisi gang" who carted away not less than P3 million worth of cash and checks from a Chinese businessman a restaurant were arrested by members of the Pasay City Police during a follow-up operation in Caloocan and Cavite over the weekend.
(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)
The two suspects were identified as Richard Rivera, 38 a resident of Barangay Bangkal , Silang Cavite; and Joseph Feliciano, a resident of Santa Quiteria, Caloocan City.
Police are still hunting down one of the suspects who acted as a lookout during the incident who was identified as Wilson Manda, 32, a resident of Angeles St. City Homes, Sampaloc IV, Dasmariñas Cavite.
Investigation showed that the complainant, Qing Ro Li, 42, was having dinner at Xiao Long Kan Restaurant on Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City, when two men entered the establishment at 6:30 p.m. last August 22.
According to Li, he and his three friends were having dinner when an unidentified man took his clutch bag placed which he placed on the left side of his chair. The bag contained the victim's wallet. multiple identification cards, cash worth P250,000, phone worth P50,000, bank issued check with signatures worth P3,500,000.
Closed Circuit Television footage from the restaurant showed that while Li was busy speaking with his friends, suspect Rivera took the bag while sitting at an adjacent table in the restaurant. The two suspects escaped on board a Toyota Vios with conduction sticker YX 8120.
The Pasay City Police coordinated with the Land Transportation Office and Toyota Manila Bay and were able to find out that the car was owned under a certain Marlon Delaminez of San Ildefonso, Bulacan. They were able to locate the owner's home but her niece April Javier Delaminez, said that her uncles is an OFW. She revealed that they have a rent a car business that is managed by Marlon's wife Maricel in Valenzuela City.
The Pasay City Police wen to Malinta, Valenzuela City where they met the owner of the business where the police was able to identify one of the suspects Joseph Feliciano. According to the owner, Feliciano rented the vehicle last August 13 at 4 in the morning.
Feliciano was arrested on August 22 at his home in Sta. Quiteria Caloocan City, where he confessed that he was merely a driver of the vehicle and had prior knowledge of the heist. He revealed the location of the two suspects, Rivera and Manda. Rivera was apprehended in his residence on August 25
Authorities recovered from the house of Feliciano on Sunday the victim's atm cards, and one of the bank issued checks worth P1,500,000. Police failed to arrest Manda who was not in his residence during the follow-up operation.
The three will be facing theft charges before the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office.