Policemen release sketches of Acetylene Gang members

The Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office released four cartographic sketches of the alleged members of Acetylene Gang who burglarized eight shops of the Cebu Appliance Building along Osmeña Boulevard last Sunday dawn.

The cartographic sketches were obtained with the help of the employees of La Guardia Hotel where the robbers checked in two days before the discovery of the burglary.

The witnesses described the woman as about 30 years old, 5’4 tall, slim built and with natural curly long hair. Her companion is about 39 years old and about 5’5 in height; medium built, tan, and sporting a brush-up haircut.

The third man is about 50 years old and stands 5’4 tall, medium built and with kinky hair, while the fourth man is from 29 to 30 years old, 5’4 in height, has a bulgy stomach, and was sporting a flat top haircut.

The sketch for the fifth man was not available because the witnesses could not remember his face as he was seldom seen going out of his room. The group occupied two rooms at the fourth and fifth floors.

Cebu Appliance Building watchman Joel Siglos of the Diamond 7 Security Agency discovered the burglary when, after opening the main entrance, he found out that the stalls were already ransacked.

Sr. Insp. Michael Bastes, chief of the TRS, told The FREEMAN that the perpetrators might be from Benguet or Isabela because reported groups using said modus operandi hail from these provinces.

The establishments that were burglarized are RCPI, USSC Western Union, Long Light Enterprises, E-Cebu Electronic Sales, Salem DVD and Cell Shop, Ink Man, Brother J Merchandise and DVD Tapes, Khodzaifa Spa and Beauty Saloon and Rica’s Travel Services.

Western Union alone lost P401,000 and US$1,700 while the others lost cash and valuables estimated to have reached nearly P1 million.

Bastes learned that there was a security camera installed at the hotel but the video was not recorded for unknown reason.

On the other hand, Bastes said one of the perpetrators showed to the desk employee a driver’s license and that they are now verifying the personality of the said man before the Land Transportation Office.

City police director Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador told reporters that if confirmed information of the locations of the perpetrator is known, he would send a track team anywhere in the country.

He reiterated his calls on businessmen to strengthen their security not only by hiring guards who are posted outside the padlocked entrances, but also by installing burglar alarms and working security cameras.

The perpetrators use acetylene torch to cut through the metal padlocks. The gang was able to open the safety vault of one of the stalls using hand metal drills.

They gained entrance from the back portion of the said building making it impossible for people at the front to notice what’s happening inside.

Bastes said the woman accompanied by one man left the place without checking out, in fact not collecting their change worth P300 while their companions left the place past 3 a.m. — Edwin Ian Melecio/MEEV