A 37-year-old motorcycle taxi rider was arrested in Taytay, Rizal, after allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a sleeping delivery van driver in Quezon City, police said.
Reports said that the suspect was quickly apprehended after authorities used an active GPS tracking application on the stolen phone, which is valued at more than P40,000, according to Lt. Col. Aljun Belista, commander of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Kamuning station.
“When the victim realized the phone’s GPS was still active and pinging in Taytay, we immediately deployed a team,” Belista said. “We caught the suspect in possession of the victim’s cellphone, and the victim positively identified him.”
Surveillance footage captured the suspect riding his motorcycle on Samar Avenue in Barangay South Triangle, where he pulled up behind a parked closed van. The victim was waiting inside the vehicle for his wife at the time.
The video showed the suspect approaching the driver’s side window, reaching inside, and grabbing the phone from the sleeping driver before speeding off.
“The window was open,” Belista said. “When the victim realized his phone was gone, he attempted to chase the suspect but could not keep up with the motorcycle.”
The suspect confessed to the theft following his arrest, claiming he was tempted to take the device to use for his ride-hailing job. Police recovered the stolen phone and impounded the motorcycle used in the incident.
