Stolen vehicle recovered from former Marine

Police agents recovered in Pangasinan the other day a brand new Toyota Revo owned by a Japan-based Filipina businesswoman married to a Japanese national, which was reportedly stolen by a former Philippine Marine in Cubao, Quezon City last Sunday.

But for the time being, charges of carjacking are being held in abeyance against ex-Marine, Reynold Saoi, pending the arrival from Kobe, Japan of complainant Stinele Imperial-Nagahoma, owner of the stolen vehicle.

Quoting reports reaching him, Senior Superintendent Raul Bacalzo, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) said Saoi stole the vehicle from his live-in partner Ellen Imperial, 36, of No. 45 Imperial Street, Cubao, Quezon City on Christmas eve.

The vehicle was entrusted to her by the owner, her sister, who is currently in Kobe, Japan, with her Japanese husband.

Saoi, allegedly wanted so much to have his own car and boast off to their townmates in Pangasinan. However, he could not afford to buy one.

Last Sunday, Christmas eve, Saoi, without the knowledge of Ellen, drove off with the newly-purchased wine red Revo to his hometown in Pangasinan to show off.

He enjoyed his supposed brand-new vehicle for only four days, after joint CIDG and local policemen raided his place and recovered the vehicle.

Police turned over the recovered car to Ellen who had reported the carjacking to authorities.

Meanwhile, an abandoned vehicle parked below the EDSA Kamuning Flyover was damaged by fire yesterday morning.

Police Officer 2 Domingo Bernardo, of the Central Police District-Station 10 (Kamuning), said a fire started inside an "L-type" Mitsubishi Lancer at around 5 a.m. and they saw scavengers run towards the Kamuning police station.

Bernardo said the old and damaged Mitsubishi Lancer was an abandoned vehicle recovered by the police station with no one claiming ownership.

He added that some seized vehicles had to be parked outside the compound of the police station because of limited parking to the police station by residents of Barangay Pinahan in September after being abandoned in a vacant lot for more than a year. – Jaime Laude and Pia Lee Brago

Bernardo explained that the unidentified owner of the vehicle could have abandoned the car because of the extensive damage. Scavengers and beggars in Kamuning and Kamias were often seen sleeping inside it.

Police said an unattended lighted candle could have triggered the fire while the scavengers were sleeping. – Jaime Laude and Pia Lee Brago