Police arrested a suspect involved in the alleged theft of wooden pallets in a Manila neighborhood, while another suspect remained at large, authorities said on Saturday.
The incident occurred in Barangay 315, Zone 32, Manila, where closed-circuit television footage captured a man stealing pallets owned by a senior citizen.
Barangay officials said the theft was reported by the elderly resident after discovering the pallets missing. A review of CCTV footage showed that the suspect was a resident of the same barangay.
Barangay personnel immediately went to the suspect’s house, but he was no longer there. His parents later admitted that their son was responsible for the theft, according to officials.
A barangay official said the suspect has a history of theft but previously avoided prosecution because he was a minor at the time.
“They told me, ‘The pallets are here, we will just return them.’ I said that was not the issue,” the barangay official, who requested that his name be withheld, said.
“If we do not give thieves a lesson, they will just keep doing it,” he exclaimed, adding that the suspect had committed similar acts several times in the past but was not held accountable because he was underage.
“He has done this many times before, but he could not be detained because he was still a child. Now he is 18, so we are already looking for him,” the official added.
Authorities later learned that the suspect sold the stolen pallets to a mango vendor near the area for P150 each. The buyer turned over the items to the authorities after learning of the theft and fearing possible arrest.
Barangay officials also urged parents to take responsibility for their children’s behavior
Police said the incident was not the first attempted theft in the area. Just last week, suspects tried to break into a house by forcing open an accordion door, but fled after a CCTV alarm sounded.
The Manila Police District’s Sta. Cruz Police Station is continuing its search for the remaining suspect.