Child Involved in Theft Caught on CCTV at Small Eatery
ROBBERY INCIDENT – A child was allegedly involved in one of the robbery incidents in Barangay Dela Paz, Antipolo City.
The first theft happened in the early hours of March 14, 2026 (Saturday). A man was caught on CCTV climbing over the eatery’s fence shortly after it had closed for the night.
Despite people still being inside and awake, the suspect managed to enter and take a large speaker worth around P5,000. The act was done quickly, showing how bold the thief was even with others nearby.
Just two days later, another incident occurred in broad daylight. This time, a child was seen on camera lingering near the area, carefully waiting for the right moment. The child hid among passing motorists before forcefully removing a tip box that had been secured earlier.
The same box had been targeted during the first break-in but was not taken at that time.
“Yung tip box na ‘yun ay ‘yung una ring kinukuha nung unang magnanakaw na hindi niya nakuha kasi naka-screw,” the owner Fatima Abria said.
Although the CCTV did not fully capture how the child managed to escape, the outline of the stolen box could be seen through the child’s shirt while running away. The detail made the situation even more alarming for the owner, who expressed both fear and disappointment over what happened.
“Natatakot kami na baka ‘yung sumunod na mangyari eh pasukin na lang kami rito… Mahirap na kasi ang panahon ngayon, gumawa na lang nang patas. Small business lang kami, lumalaban nang patas,” she added.
Local officials are now looking into the case and are checking if the suspects are connected. Authorities believe they may not be from the area, as they were not recognized by barangay personnel.
Security in the neighborhood has been tightened. Officials are also calling on the child’s parents to step forward, so proper guidance and intervention can be provided, hoping to prevent similar incidents.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
