Jewelry, cash stolen from pawnshop

CEBU, Philippines – At least P1.6 million worth of pawned jewelry and cash were carted away in what appeared to be a burglary at a pawnshop in Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio town.

The burglary at Dover Pawnshop was discovered early yesterday morning.

Rosalyn Quinatadcan, the lone teller and appraiser of the pawnshop, reported for work on Monday morning and, as her routine, opened the roll-up doors. She then was shocked to see that the things inside the pawnshop were already in disarray.

Suspecting that burglars broke into the shop, she immediately called the police for help.

SPO2 Wilfredo Bonado, one of those responded to the call, said the burglars bore a hole into plywood covering the air conditioning slot at the adjacent stall.

The unidentified burglars entered through the hole and destroyed the division, which is made of hollow block inside the stall that leads to the pawnshop.

Once they destroyed the concrete division, the burglars destroyed the plywood division of the teller’s room where the vault is placed.

Bonado said the burglars used a metal object to destroy the vault and carted away the items inside worth over P1.3 million and close to P300,000 cash.

Two metal bars were found inside the pawnshop that police believed were the ones used to destroy the concrete division and the vault.

Bonado said the burglary most likely happened sometime midnight of All Souls’ Day.

The building where the pawnshop is located does not have a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera. It also did not have a security guard.

Senior Insp. Jose Rovic Villarin of the San Remigio Police said investigation is ongoing to determine the culprits of the crime.

PO3 Dante Tiaño, desk officer, said the incident was the first of its kind, so far, in the area, which might be why the pawnshop owner was complacent.

“Sukad masukad kani pa gyud ang unang nahitabo, kini man gud among lungsod nihit kaayo ang krimin,” Tiaño said. –/JMO (FREEMAN)