Seven youngsters robbed a spa along Osmeña Boulevard, not very far from the headquarters of the Police Regional Police, yesterday dawn and carted away cash and valuables from the said establishment.
The caretaker of the spa, Ramil Cañete, told the police that he had just closed the Aviary Health Spa owned by Mark Anthony So and was waiting for a ride when seven young men approached him; one of them pointed a handgun at him and declared a holdup.
Supt. Henry Biñas, chief of the Fuente Police Station, in a telephone interview with The FREEMAN said the suspects are estimated to be as young as 16 to 19 years old believed to be from the nearby barangay.
Police said the robbers immediately dragged the victim to the already closed spa and asked for the keys. Cañete first denied having the keys with him, but one of the robbers reportedly forcibly took it from his pocket including his wallet with P2,000 cash and his mobile phone.
The suspects opened the spa and once inside started divesting whatever valuables they could find including a computer monitor and its central processing unit. The robbers forcibly opened the drawer and took the proceeds kept there worth P12,000; the company cellphone, and four wall clocks from each of the cubicles of the establishment.
The robbers were said to have fled towards undetermined directions, but reports had it that they hurriedly boarded a waiting taxicab.
Biñas said they believe that the suspects might be from around the place and could be members of a gang from barangay Sambag Uno.
Sr. Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of the Theft and Robbery Section, shared in Biñas’ suspicion and added that the taxi driver might have conspired with the robbers, as no driver in his right mind would allow all seven passengers squeezed inside his taxicab because of the penalties for overloading. — Edwin Ian Melecio/MEEV