Suspect in P1.3-M coop heist nabbed

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Personnel of Sagay City Police Station in Negros Occidental arrested one of the two suspects who allegedly robbed P1.3 million cash from a multi-purpose cooperative at Barangay Paraiso last Thursday.

Police Major Antonio Benitez, city police chief, refused to name the suspect as of press time while the investigation is ongoing.

The robbery happened past 6 p.m. after the 53-year-old cashier and the 27-year-old driver came from a bank to withdraw the amount for the salaries of the employees.

The two victims were riding a van when they were waylaid by the two motorcycle-riding persons near their office.

The two suspects armed with .38-caliber revolvers threatened both victims at gunpoint and fled with the bag containing the money.

Benitez said the 25-year-old suspect was arrested in a pursuit operation the following day after he was sighted at his parent’s house in Cadiz City.

Benitez said the arrested suspect was identified after he was seen in front of a sari-sari store few hours before the crime was committed.

The suspect was also tagged in previous robberies in the cities of Cadiz and Sagay, the city police chief added.

He said they have no identity yet of the other suspect and they are also looking for an additional suspect who served as lookout during the incident.

After the incident, all employees who were present when the incident happened were invited to the police station for questioning.

He said they are still probing if the suspects have contacts inside the cooperative which probably enabled them to learn of the schedule of the bank withdrawal.