Laundry shop robbery suspect hunted

Police are searching for a man dressed in a motorcycle taxi uniform who robbed a local businessman at gunpoint inside a laundry shop in Barangay Highway Hill, Mandaluyong City early Saturday.

Security footage of the incident shows the suspect entering the establishment and immediately targeting the owner, who was seated inside.

Witnesses said the gunman threatened the victim and demanded his jewelry.

“He knew exactly what he wanted to take,” a laundry shop employee said. “He told my boss, ‘Take that off or I’ll shoot you,’ and then he hit him with the gun.”

The assailant managed to steal the victim’s necklace. He also attempted to take a high-end bracelet, but fled after being startled by a ringing telephone. The suspect escaped the scene on a motorcycle.

The victim, an employee, and a customer sought help immediately after the gunman left.

A local community watchman attempted to intercept the suspect but was forced to back down when the man brandished a firearm.

“I was about to call our base when he confronted me and reached for his gun,” said watchman Jack Malijan. “I couldn’t make the call.”

The employee described the encounter as traumatic but noted that police presence in the area has increased since the robbery. Local authorities said the suspect was last seen fleeing toward EDSA.