Police Arrests Man Wanted for Theft in Valenzuela
WANTED PERSON – A man who has been on the run for nearly 30 years was finally arrested in Valenzuela City.
On Wednesday (July 31, 2024), the man, known by the alias “Jessie,” who was wanted for a theft committed back in 1997 has been arrested. The suspect had visibly aged, with white hair marking the passage of time since his crime.
According to a report by Bea Pinlac on Unang Balita, Jessie’s appearance has changed since he was involved in the theft nearly three decades ago. Jessie was allegedly behind a series of robberies and burglaries targeting various establishments, including bake shops and gas stations in Valenzuela and nearby areas.
Police Colonel Nixon Cayaban, the Acting Police Chief of Valenzuela City, explained that Jessie’s group used various tactics to carry out their crimes.
The group often posed as customers, targeted cashiers, and sometimes rented cars for their getaways rather than using their own vehicles. Each hold-up reportedly netted their group between P50,000 and P70,000.
Jessie’s arrest warrant was first issued in 1997. However, it wasn’t until 2021 that he was identified as a member of the Niepes Robbery Group, which led to a new arrest order being issued. For the past 27 years, Jessie had been hiding from the authorities.
During his arrest, Jessie admitted to his involvement in the 1997 theft at a small store. He claimed that he was coerced into participating in the robbery and that he had not committed any other crimes since then.
Jessie also insisted that he had stayed in Valenzuela for the past decades. “Binata pa ako noon tapos napasama ako sa hold up. Siyempre ako naman, kailangan ko ng trabaho bilang binata pa ako, sumama ako. Tapos hindi ko alam na ‘yun pala ang pakay nila. Hindi na rin ako nakapalag,” he said.
Valenzuela Police are still searching for the remaining five members and the leader of the Niepes Robbery Group. Jessie has stated that he no longer has any connections with his former accomplices.
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