Teller hurt in botched Malabon pawnshop heist

MANILA, Philippines - A pawnshop teller in Malabon City was stabbed at least seven times yesterday morning when she foiled a robber’s attempt to rob the pawnshop.

Senior Police Officer 3 Ferdinand Espiritu said Jeramie Yngco, 25, staff of M. Lhuillier pawnshop in Barangay Taniong, is confined at the Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital due to stab wounds in different parts of the body.

Espiritu said Yngco was opening the pawnshop roll-up door at around 7:30 a.m. when a man wearing a Type-B guard uniform approached her and helped her pull up the door.

But when they were already inside, the man reportedly announced a heist but Yngco put up a fight. She was able to turn on the pawnshop’s alarm system, prompting the robber to stab her several times before fleeing empty-handed.

By the time Police Officers 2 Patrick Alvarado and Ismael Tayaban responded, the robber was gone.

Alvarado and Tayaban brought Yngco to the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon for treatment but later transferred her to the MCU Hospital because of her critical condition, Espiritu said.

Espiritu said they invited for questioning yesterday Richard Catid, the guard who was supposed to be on duty at the time of the robbery, for reporting to work around 30 minutes late.