When hunger strikes: Man nabbed for stealing karaoke machine to buy food in Marikina
A 34-year-old man admitted to stealing a karaoke machine from inside a hotpot restaurant due to hunger in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina City, last Sunday, Feb. 1.
Based on the police report, the suspect was caught on CCTV climbing on the gate of the establishment before stealing multiple boxes containing the karaoke set and slipping it from under the gate. He then loaded the stolen items onto his pedicab and fled.
According to the victim, the suspect initially asked for tradeable items, wherein the staff obliged. Unbeknownst to them, he was already surveilling the establishment.
The suspect returned to the restaurant on Feb. 4 to ask for more tradeable goods, not knowing that he was already caught on CCTV stealing the karaoke set.
The victim reported the crime to the barangay, wherein they identified the suspect as a notorious robber who had been repeatedly reported for theft, saying that this is the fourth time the suspect has stolen in their barangay.
The suspect was arrested by the barangay after spotting him surveilling the hotpot restaurant again, which led to his arrest.
The officials recovered the stolen karaoke set worth P30,000, which the suspect sold to his neighbor in Barangay Tumana for P500.
The suspect said he committed the crime due to hunger and exhaustion, promising to not do it again.
However, the victim decided to file theft charges against the arrested suspect.