2 thieves hit fastfood chain outlet in mall

CEBU, Philippines - Two men including a minor were caught stealing over P160,000 cash from a fastfood chain outlet in a mall at the North Reclamation Area yesterday morning.

Jetson Sueles, 31, resident of Barangay Tulay, Minglanilla and his 17-year-old companion from Inayagan, Naga City hid themselves at the exhaust room and waited for the Jollibee outlet in the mall to close last Saturday. Senior Police Officer 4 Henry Estoy of the Cebu City Police Office’s Theft and Robbery Section said that the suspects were arrested by the staff of the fast-food chain and were turned over to them.

The suspects were found hiding in the ceiling of the restaurant waiting for the right opportunity to escape. Unfortunately for them they were not able to do it because the burglary was immediately discovered by the staff of the fast-food chain outlet.

The staff of the Jollibee outlet sought the assistance of the mall guards and searched the restaurant. Sueles and his companion were found inside the ceiling with the P167,104 cash from the store’s cash box.

The suspects admitted to the police that they have themselves locked inside the ventilation shaft at the second floor and waited for the store to close. After all the staff went home, they took the money from the cash register by destroying it using a screw driver.

The suspects then hid themselves in the ceiling and waited for the store opening the following day hoping to be able to escape.

The planned escape failed when the store’s assistant manager Rica Rufo discovered the burglary.

“Imposible man sad daw na masudlan ang mall kay daghan mang security guard so ilanggi-search ilang establishment ug nakit-an nila ang duha sa kisame (A break-in was impossible because there are plenty of security guards at the mall prompting them to search the store and found the two in the ceiling),” Estoy said.

The suspects are now detained at the CCPO stockade and are expected to face criminal charges today. —/FPL (FREEMAN)