Cops recover rented car in robbery hold-up

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Personnel of Police Station 4 recovered an abandoned Toyota Innova which was allegedly used in a robbery hold-up incident that victimized two men at Barangay Villamonte early Tuesday.

Police Lieutenant Rondyl Tapang, head of Police Station 4, said four unidentified men on board the vehicle allegedly robbed Aaron Muñon, 24, and Kane Irish Dominguez, 20, both residents of Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, while they were walking on their way to work at the said village past 3 a.m.

Tapang said one of the suspects allegedly asked for directions from the two victims. Then two men, whose faces were not covered, disembarked from the vehicle and allegedly threatened the victims at gunpoint.

The suspects carted away Muñon’s bag containing his cellular phone, shirts, and P580 cash, as well as Dominguez’s cellular phone, then they fled, leaving them unharmed.

The two victims reported the incident to the police, who immediately responded and spotted the car in front of a supermarket at the said village.

Police approached the driver but he accelerated the vehicle towards Burgos street. It led to a brief chase until the car was abandoned by the robbers at Barangay 35.

The car was recovered at a vacant lot, but the suspects managed to escape, Tapang said.  Muñon’s bag was also recovered but some of the stolen items were not found.

Tapang said that the car used by the suspects was later found out to be a rented vehicle, and one of the suspects who rented the car will be considered a person of interest in the crime.

Tapang said that the rented car was towed and brought to Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) for further investigation.

He also said that they are coordinating with the owner of the vehicle and the rent-a-car firm for the identification of the renter.