A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday, July 5, after police caught him allegedly stealing scrap metal from a commercial building in Barangay Talipapa, Quezon City, where his group had carted off more than P6.27 million worth of items.
The suspect, identified only as “Raymart,” was caught by Talipapa Police Station (PS 3) operatives during an inspection of the building after its owner reported suspicious activity.
The building owner told police that he last inspected and secured the property on June 25.
At around 5:51 p.m. on July 5, a neighbor alerted the owner about suspicious noises and unidentified individuals inside the building, prompting him to seek assistance from barangay officials and police.
Responding PS 3 personnel discovered that the building’s roll-up door had been forcibly opened and several areas inside were ransacked.
During the inspection, police caught Raymart allegedly removing scrap metal from the building, leading to his immediate arrest.
An inventory conducted by the owner showed that assorted items worth more than P6.27 million were missing from the property.
Police said Raymart admitted taking part in the robbery and disclosed that he and two other companions had entered the building several times to steal various items.
The suspect will face a charge of robbery in a private building under Article 302 of the Revised Penal Code before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
His two alleged cohorts remain at large as police continue follow-up operations to locate them.