Desperate Man Arrested for Stealing Former OFW’s Bicycle in Navotas
A 35-year-old man was caught stealing a bicycle belonging to Saturnino Bautista, a former overseas Filipino worker at Agora market in Navotas.
Bautista purchased the bicycle nearly 30 years ago in Japan and it holds a sentimental value for him. He reported the theft to the authorities and provided CCTV footage showing the entire event happening in broad daylight.
The CCTV footage showed the suspect lurking near the bicycle for a while, appearing to check if Bautista was around. As the owner stepped inside a hardware store to buy materials for his home, the thief quickly grabbed the bike and left.
Bautista expressed his distress over the theft, sharing how he left his bicycle momentarily only to find it gone when he turned around to pay.
“Bumili ako’ng materyales para sa bahay. Ngayon, iniwan ko iyong bike ko doon sa tabi…Magbabayad na ako eh. Paglingon ko, wala na iyong bike ko,” Bautista said.
The police managed to arrest the suspect later in Barangay NBBS Proper, not far from the market. During questioning, the suspect admitted to the theft and revealed his plan to sell the bicycle in Tondo, Manila.
However, the deal never went through, as he panicked when he spotted police officers in the vicinity. He managed to get P100 from a prospective buyer, but that was it.
Initially, the suspect promised to lead the authorities to the location of the stolen bicycle. However, after several hours of waiting at the Navotas police station, Bautista and his family learned that the suspect returned empty-handed.
The suspect stated that he had sold the bike but did not know the buyer’s identity or location. The police investigation revealed that the suspect intended to trade the stolen bicycle for illegal drugs in what is known as a “palit-bato” exchange.
“Iyong bisikleta na ninakaw, dadalhin niya sa Vitas Street sa Maynila. Ibebenta niya raw ng P1,000 or P1,500 pero kapag walang pera, drugs daw ang kapalit,” said Navotas Police Substation 4 Deputy Commander PLt. Michael Salvador.
The suspect, who has a history of theft and drug-related offenses, admitted to regularly using illegal substances. The police plan to file theft charges against him as the investigation continues.
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