The National Capital Region Police Office arrested a foreign national for multiple criminal offenses following a hot pursuit operation in Mandaluyong City on Friday morning, 6 February.
The 36-year-old suspect, a Palestinian national, was apprehended at around 10:15 a.m. along Sierra Madre Street, Mandaluyong City, after allegedly committing theft inside Crossroads Hostel along Mariveles Street, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.
Police said the suspect entered the hostel, allegedly stole P5,000, and fled the scene. The complainant shouted for help, which was immediately responded to by police officers who were nearby and reportedly witnessed the suspect fleeing.
Acting on their personal observation and information relayed by the complainant, the operatives pursued the suspect, resulting in his arrest at around 10:15 a.m. along Sierra Madre Street.
During identity verification, the suspect allegedly attempted to flee and resisted arrest, prompting officers to employ reasonable force to restrain him.
Further investigation revealed that a second complainant, a TNVS driver, later came forward and reported that earlier on the same day, the suspect booked his transport service through an application for a trip from Ermita, Manila, to Hotel Sogo along Shaw Boulevard corner EDSA in Mandaluyong City.
The suspect allegedly deceived the driver into accepting online payment but failed to complete the transaction and refused to pay the agreed fare despite waiting for more than an hour, causing undue vexation and inconvenience.
Background checks showed that the suspect arrived in the Philippines in December 2019 and has been under police monitoring since 2023 due to his alleged involvement in several criminal incidents.
Authorities said his alleged modus operandi involved checking in at hostels and lodging establishments under the pretext of settling payment upon check-out, only to later steal from guests and establishments.
Records further disclosed that on October 28, 2025, the suspect was arrested in Quezon City for offenses including estafa, disobedience to persons in authority, unjust vexation, and concealing his true name, after allegedly refusing to pay a taxi fare and acting violently toward responding police officers.
A case for alarms and scandals was filed against him before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court. Other complaints were dismissed due to lack of evidence, and the suspect was committed to the New Quezon City Jail on November 7, 2025.
Investigators also established that on January 26, 2026, the suspect allegedly committed theft at a restaurant inside Central Square Mall in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, where he reportedly took two cellular phones, one iPad, and cash tips amounting to approximately P50,000. A case was filed in connection with the incident.
He was likewise linked to another theft case on January 14, 2026, in Malate, Manila, involving the alleged unlawful entry into a condominium unit and the taking of several personal items, including a Nikon D5500 DSLR camera, a Sony digital video camera, a Canon digital camera, a baseball cap, a hooded jacket, and a pair of Crocs slippers. Police are also investigating reports that the suspect may have been involved in similar cases in Ermita, Manila, since 2021.
The suspect remains under police custody as authorities prepare documents for the filing of appropriate criminal complaints through inquest proceedings before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office for alleged violations of theft, resistance to a person in authority, and possession of a bladed weapon.