Suspects who ransacked cop’s room arrested

By: Jomarie A. Billones 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The suspected burglars who ransacked the rented room of the police chief of Pontevedra, Capiz were arrested on June 12, 2019.

Dominic Degala, 19, was first to be arrested and later pointed his two other companions – Mark Jomel Ballera, 21, and Carlo Fuentes, 22, all residents of Panit-an town.

Police seized from Ballera the service firearm of Police Lt. Roque Gimeno.

Gimeno’s Acer laptop inside a sling bag was recovered from Fuentes. The P10,000 cash was no longer found.

Gimeno, a resident of Molo, Iloilo City, lost his valuables to burglars who ransacked his boarding room in the town.

Gimeno said he lost his caliber .9mm service pistol with magazine and ammunition, P10,000 cash, and laptop.

Investigation conducted by Pontevedra police indicated that the suspects initially planned to rob the sari-sari (retail) store of the boarding house owner. But when they found it hard to open, they turned to the boarding rooms.

Although Gimeno was in his room when the burglary happened, he said he did not sense anything as he was in very deep slumber.

The suspects were detained at the lock up cells of Pontevedra police station while charges are being prepared against them.