2 motorcycle thieves in viral Facebook post nabbed in Pasay City
At A Glance
- Two suspects in carnapping incident that went viral on a Facebook page were arrested by members of the Pasay City Police after eight days of continued follow-up operations.
Pasay City police arrested two men on Tuesday night, June 3, after an eight-day follow-up operation. The suspects had gone viral on Facebook following their involvement in the theft of a parked motorcycle.
Col. Joselito De Sesto, Pasay City Police chief, identified the suspects as Jonard, 42, a scavenger, and John Michael, 21, both residents of Pasay City.
De Sesto said the victim, Aaron Carl, 24, a dog trainer from Anabu, Imus, Cavite City, claimed that he was on his way home on board his Honda PCX 160 when exhaustion led him to stop on the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard near Buendia Avenue at around 2 a.m. on May 26.
While resting on the roadside, he was struck on the head by unidentified assailants, rendering him unconscious.
Upon regaining consciousness, he found his motorcycle missing and promptly reported the incident to the police.
The Pasay City Police Substation 1 immediately conducted an ocular inspection of the crime scene, noting poor lighting conditions and an absence of CCTV cameras in the vicinity.
Authorities interviewed individuals in the area, and one of whom was Jonard. He initially stated that he had been riding his bicycle and had assisted the victim upon finding him unconscious.
De Sesto said the incident went viral on Facebook after it was posted by a certain Aris.
Further police investigation, including CCTV footage review from Barangays 10, 11, 12, and 76, revealed that Jonard was in the company of two other men aboard a bicycle with a front carrier. The footage showed them pushing and parking the victim’s motorcycle on the roadside before speeding towards Roxas Boulevard and EDSA.
A witness, John Mark, identified the man seated in the bicycle front carrier as John Michael while Jonard was driving.
John Mark's testimony corroborated the findings of police investigators, leading to the suspects' arrest.
The suspects admitted to the crime and claimed that a third accomplice -- identified as a gay individual -- was involved in selling the stolen motorcycle.
The third suspect is still being hunted by the police.