Alleged robber nabbed in hot pursuit

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A suspected robber was arrested after almost an hour of hot pursuit in LaPaz, Iloilo City.

Angelo Pelobello, 28, a resident of Barangay Sambag, Jaro, was barefoot when village officials and barangay tanods caught him at Magdalo, La Paz around 9 p.m. on Sept 27, 2022.

Prior to this arrest, Catherine Tolentino, 28, of Barangay Ugbo, Alimodian, Iloilo claimed that a man robbed her at knifepoint on Luna St., La Paz.

A jobseeker, Tolentino was on her way to her cousin’s boarding house when the incident happened.

The victim told police investigators that she was walking on Luna Street around 8:10 p.m. Tuesday when a man grabbed her neck.

The suspect then whispered, “Hold-up ni. Ma act ka lang nga migo mo ko (This is a hold-up. Act as if I am your boyfriend).”

She was then told to walk on the sidewalk footpath.

But Tolentino fought back.

Staff Sergeant Angel Lemery, Jr., Iloilo City Police Station 2 investigator, said Tolentino managed to tackle the suspect as she was trained in taekwondo and karate.

Both fell to the pavement during their grappling.

Pelobellor subsequently took Tolentino’s Realme 6I mobile phone worth P8,000 and fled towards Magdalo village.

A motorcycle rider and some bystanders allegedly helped chase the suspect.

At that time, village officials and tanods were conducting a roving patrol in the area.

The rider then informed them about a robbery suspect who fled barefoot.

They later cornered Pelobello who fit the description of the man who robbed Tolentino.

Meanwhile, Lemery said they already filed the robbery hold-up case against Pelobello Wednesday morning at the Iloilo City Prosecutors’ Office.