BACOLOD City — More than P800,000 worth of cellular phones were stolen after an unidentified suspect allegedly broke into a gadget store in Barangay 3, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, early Sunday, October 11.
The Kabankalan City Police Station reported that the robbery occurred at around 3 a.m., with the stolen cellular phones valued at approximately P802,000.
The store is owned by a 26-year-old businesswoman identified only by the alias Faith, a resident of Barangay Magballo in Kabankalan City.
Initial police investigation showed that a security guard at a mall in the locality discovered the suspected robbery while conducting a routine patrol.
The guard reportedly spotted an unidentified individual leaving the store while carrying a bag. When confronted, the suspect managed to board a motorcycle and flee toward Guanzon Street in Barangay 1.
Responding police officers found that the store had been forcibly entered after the suspect allegedly damaged the padlock of the roll-up door and the lock of the sliding door.
A store employee told investigators that assorted cellular phones had been taken from the establishment.
A review of the store’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage later showed that the suspect entered the premises at around 3 a.m., approximately two hours before police received the report.
Police investigators and intelligence personnel are conducting follow-up investigations and intelligence operations to establish the suspect’s identity and whereabouts.
Authorities are also coordinating with nearby business establishments to obtain additional CCTV footage that could help trace the suspect’s movements before, during and after the robbery.
As of the latest police report, the suspect remained unidentified, while efforts to locate and apprehend the individual were ongoing./PN
