Wire thief caught in Manila after loitering in barangay hall

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A man who was caught on CCTV footage stealing wires was arrested by authorities in Manila while he loitered at a barangay hall.

In a 24 Oras report from Jhomer Apresto on Thursday, video showed a man climbing on the walls of a warehouse in Tondo, Manila. He was seen forcibly pulling something.

Another man assisted in pulling some pipes. The two quickly escaped and a few moments later, they were again seen carrying something in a blue plastic bag before boarding a red motorcycle.

Police said the two men stole different cables, which was estimated to have cost around P35,000.

The man who climbed the wall was arrested.

One of the suspects happened to pass by the area while the cops were reviewing the CCTV footage.

“Sakto dumaan itong motor. Lulan niya itong suspect… sa pagre-review nila, nakita nila doon sa CCTV na recording na yung tao na gumawa na yun, at tsaka ‘yung taong dumaan at tumambay doon sa barangay, ay iisang tao,” said Smokey Mountain PCP Commander MPD-1 Police Captain Ryan Jay Balagtas.

(Right at the moment, the motorcycle passed. On it was the suspect… while they were reviewing, they saw on the CCTV footage the person who did it, and then the person who passed by and loitered at the barangay, was the same person.)

The suspect was summoned into the barangay hall and was positively identified by the warehouse owner.

Police arrested the man, however they were unable to recover the stolen cables.

This was not the first time the suspect allegedly stole from the same warehouse, which was a parcel hub. The owner did not push through with filing a complaint because the mother of the suspect had pleaded with him.

Balagtas said the owner estimated that the suspect had stolen around P4 million worth of stolen goods from him, which included items such as refrigerators and meters.

The suspect denied the allegation. The alleged wire thief has undergone inquest proceedings and is facing theft charges.

Authorities have also been able to pinpoint the second suspect, who also faces a theft charge. —Jean Mangaluz/RF, GMA News