CEBU CITY – A woman tagged as a notorious carnapper was arrested after she allegedly tried to victimize another car buyer here on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 22.
ONE of the stolen Toyota Vios cars recovered by the police after a woman was arrested for trying to sell a carnapped vehicle in Cebu City. (Contributed photo)
Dennis Villamor, 27, was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the Highway Patrol Group-Central Visayas outside a mall in Barangay Apas here.
The suspect is a resident of Bocaue, Bulacan, said Police Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, chief of HPG-7.
Parilla narrated that a businesswoman went to the HPG-7 to report that she was able to buy a Toyota Vios sedan for P400,000 but later discovered that the vehicle was stolen from a rent-a-car shop.
The businesswoman said she bought the car from a certain France Ong.
On Sunday, the businesswoman saw Ong posting a Vios car that she is selling on Facebook Marketplace.
After informing the police, the businesswoman transacted with Ong and pretended that she would be buying the car. Villamor, instead of Ong, showed up at the mall to transact with the businesswoman.
Parilla said Villamor was arrested after she accepted the money as payment for the car that Ong tried to sell through Facebook.
He said Ong has several arrest warrants for estafa in several areas in the country.
The HPG coordinated with its central office and learned that Ong has arrest warrants in Pampanga, Cotabato City, Surigao City, Tacloban City, Cagayan de Oro, and Cebu, said Parilla.
Parilla said it was Villamor who usually transacts with unsuspecting buyers. The cars that the suspects sold came from rent-a-car shops.
After the arrest of Villamor, the HPG-7 recovered six stolen Toyota Vios cars sold to different individuals.
A certain Rene, one of the buyers, said he was convinced to buy one of the Vios as it was still new and was sold at a low price.
Rene said he did not suspect that it was a stolen vehicle as the official receipt (OR) and certificate of registration (CR) were legitimate.
The OR and CR indicated that the car is owned by Ong, said Rene.
Rene only learned that what he bought was a stolen vehicle when the HPG-7 contacted him.
Another 27-year-old businessman also appeared before HPG-7 and admitted that he bought a Vios car from Ong for P400,000.
Parilla said Ong usually sells stolen vehicles on a Sunday so his buyers will not be able to check the vehicle’s OR and CR.
Interviewed by reporters, Villamor denied that she was involved in carnapping activities. Villamor said Ong paid her P30,000 to P70,000 as her commission for every unit sold.
“Dinadala po nila sa akin ang sasakyan na naka-rent na po ata sila, ako na po ang magdala nito sa buyer (They bring me the car that they probably rented and I will bring the car to the buyer),” said Villamor.
Parilla said a deeper investigation will be conducted to determine how the suspects were able to acquire original OR and CR from the Land Transportation Office.