Man arrested for driving stolen taxi

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) last Friday night arrested a cabbie for driving a taxicab that was stolen last year.

Police Officer 3 Honey Besas identified the suspect as Joel Mondia, a resident of Cubao.

Besas said QCPD police officers spotted the vehicle driven by Mondia on P. Tuazon Avenue in Cubao at past 7 p.m.

Upon checking the vehicle’s chassis number, police found out that it was indeed the same one stolen in April 2007.

According to Besas, the vehicle’s plate number had been changed from TWH-219 to TWH-210, and its signage changed to read PAC Taxi from its original name of DAC Taxi.

But Mondia denied involvement in car theft activities, saying a certain Arnold from Antipolo had asked him to drive the taxi.

Besas said Mondia claimed he has been driving the taxi for the past four months and that the alleged operator of the taxi told him to drive the vehicle only at night while its franchise is being processed.

Mondia also claimed he only meets the operator at a given place every time he remits his earnings.

Besas said they are preparing car theft charges against Mondia as they are also trying to locate the person who claimed to be the taxi’s operator. – Reinir Padua