The suspect, identified as Nixon Gonzales, 31, was arrested by operatives of Parañaque police anti-carnapping unit at noon at the parking area of the Coastal Mall.
Arresting officers, led by SPO3 Elpidio Soquina, recovered from Gonzales a mint green Honda Civic hatchback with licensed plates TGT-711. It was allegedly stolen from its owner, Jennifer Caminoy, in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Caminoy, 29, of Singalong, Malate, Manila, went to the police station and positively identified her car while carrying appropriate documents.
She told The STAR that on Aug. 29 four Chinese-speaking men on board another Honda Civic (UPJ-188) blocked her patch in front of the Novaliches Alliance Church and took her car.
"Actually, akala namin di na makikita ang kotse. Bumili na nga ako ng bago," she said. "The funny thing is hindi man lang na-chop chop. Buong buo, pati plate number di man lang pinalitan."
Soquina said a report from a reliable asset who saw the car at the mall’s parking area led to the arrest of the suspect.
"Of course, he (Gonzalez) is our suspect. We will file car theft charges against him," he said. "He could not present any proof of ownership to us."
Gonzales, for his part, told The STAR he was not aware that the car had been the subject of police operations.
"It was pawned to me last September by a certain Alex Santos for 50,000 after he lost to me in a game at the Casino Filipino," he explained.
Santos had promised to return the cash and pay for two percent interest for each succeeding day, Gonzales explained.
The suspect insisted that he had nothing to do with the theft of the vehicle and that he himself was a victim.
Police have expressed alarm over a recent spate of car thefts in Metro Manila. According to a source, there have been six car thefts since Monday. – Edu Punay