Cops nab gasoline boy for robbery

Operatives of the Manila Police District (MPD) arrested yesterday the gasoline boy who took more than P350,000 from his employer.

The operation also resulted in the recovery of part of the loot amounting to P181,000.

In a press presentation yesterday, MPD director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa identified the suspect as Junrey Cabrera, 24, of Barangay Niyugan, Cabuyao, Laguna, and a pump attendant of Osmeña-Petron gasoline station along Osmeña Highway in San Andres, Malate, Manila.

"I commend the chief of the theft and robbery section, Chief Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr., for the swift response of his men leading to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of part of the loot. This exemplifies once more that if only the public would cooperate with our policemen, no case would remain unsolved," Abarzosa told mediamen.

Arevalo said that on Monday, Carlos Badion, the owner and operator of the said gasoline station, reported the loss of P350,000 from the firm’s vault. At the time of the discovery of the loss, Cabrera also failed to report for work.

During investigation, the gas station’s cashier, Erazar Paner, revealed that days before the theft was discovered the suspect had tried to convince him to steal the store’s earnings, but he refused.

Arevalo immediately formed a team of operatives which hunted down the suspect at his city address in San Andres, Malate but the suspect was no longer there.

The team then proceeded to Barangay Niyugan in Cabuyao, Laguna, a resettlement area, where the suspect was finally caught while overseeing the construction of his house.

He admitted his crime and led the police to the place where he hid his loot. He told police that he had already spent some of the amount.

Cabrera told investigators that he managed to steal the vault key from a cashier who was sleeping. He traced the key on a piece of paper and copied it on a key duplicator. He then used the duplicate key to open the vault while he was alone inside the cashier’s office.

Arevalo turned over the money to the gas station owner yesterday.

Charges of qualified theft are now being readied against the suspect.