Power line thief behind bars

Police arrested an unemployed 48-year-old man caught cutting electrical cables connected to the city’s power grid on the historic Jones Bridge in Ermita, Manila, recovering stolen wires and an improvised firearm, authorities said Thursday.

Operatives from the Manila Police District’s Special Mobile Reaction Team (MPD-SMRT) apprehended the suspect on the evening of 2 September following reports from security guards who spotted him tampering with power lines along the bridge, according to the National Capital Region Police Office.

Responding officers caught the suspect cutting live wires with a dagger.

The City Electrical Office certified that the stolen materials — comprising 30 meters of power cable and 25 meters of electrical wire — were valued at P41,840.

The theft temporarily disrupted streetlights operating along the landmark structure.

A search following the arrest yielded a loaded .45-caliber improvised “pen gun” wrapped in tape and rubber casing, along with the dagger used during the theft.

The suspect faces criminal charges for theft under the Revised Penal Code and violations of Republic Act 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.