Authorities Arrest Woman After Returning to Mall She Previously Stole From
A woman was arrested after she returned to a mall in San Juan where she had allegedly stolen from just a few weeks earlier.
Last Friday, April 4, 2025, the police authorities arrested a female thief for stealing items from a mall. The first incident happened on March 19. A CCTV camera captured the woman taking two expensive phones from a gadget stall inside the mall.
The suspect reportedly asked the store owner for a pen and paper to list down phone prices, and while the owner was busy looking for them, the woman immediately took the phones and hid them in her bag.
The store owner only realized the phones were missing when she did her inventory before closing. By then, the woman had already escaped. She said the incident had been bothering her, and she couldn’t forget the woman’s face, often dreaming about it and hoping she would return.
To her surprise, more than two weeks later, the same woman came back to a different gadget shop in the same mall. Another vendor recognized her and immediately alerted the previous victim.
The store owner calmly approached her, pretending to look for someone. When the woman asked if she was being followed, the owner confirmed her suspicions. As the suspect was about to exit the mall, the owner shouted for help, and the woman was finally caught.
“Nakita ko siya. Siya nga talaga. Nung una, hindi ko siya dinakip. Kunwari may hinahanap akong customer. Tapos tinanong niya ako sabi niya ‘ako ba ay sinusundan mo? Ako ‘yung sinusundan mo eh bakit mo ko sinusundan?’ Lalabas na po siya sa exit eh. Hindi ako nakapigil nagsigaw po ako doon,” the victim said.
The San Juan City Police later found out that this wasn’t her only crime. Other vendors also recognized her and claimed she had stolen from them too. One reported losing items worth as much as P700,000.
The suspect is now in police custody and is facing theft charges. Authorities are encouraging other victims to come forward and file complaints.
In a previous report, a woman arrested for repeated bag thefts in QC and Manila malls
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