Gang led by father-son tandem tagged in QC car thefts

MANILA, Philippines - A group led by a man and his son has been linked to a recent rash of car thefts in Quezon City.

Police officials said the group of Mark Lester and Mark Joseph Reyes – reportedly still in his teens – has apparently added another modus to their operation: having a cohort apply as a driver and then helping him steal the vehicle from his boss.

Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano bared the modus operandi following the arrest of a man driving a vehicle stolen from the house of its owner over the weekend.

Albano said the Mitsubishi Lancer of Arturo Cruz was recovered on Wednesday afternoon in the possession of suspect Feliteo Cuadra in Barangay Baesa.

Senior Inspector Rolando Lorenzo Jr. chief of the QCPD’s anti-car theft unit, said they went to the place after receiving information that the vehicle was spotted there. 

“This information was related to our operation weeks ago in Marilao, wherein five vehicles were recovered and five members of Mark Lester’s group were arrested,” Lorenzo said. 

“This is apparently a new scheme they are now using,” Lorenzo said.

The Lancer was taken from the house of Cruz on Sunday morning, allegedly by Ronald Nunag, who had worked as Cruz’s driver.

Cruz had fired Nunag after three weeks after items at his house started getting missing. On the day the sedan was stolen, Cruz’s teenage relatives saw Nunag entering the house. 

“Nunag was apparently working for Mark Lester,” Albano said.

Working together

The group of Mark Lester has been said to have been working together with that of his cousin, Joemel Salvatierra.

QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said members of the group had been tagged in three other car theft cases in the city.

Pagdilao was referring to a Nissan Urvan, a Honda Civic and a Mitsubishi Strada, which were all stolen while parked in different areas in the city on Sunday.

He said witnesses were able to identify those from this group when shown the rogues’ gallery.

Lorenzo said the identified suspects are Salvatierra and Ryan Cruz. Mark Lester and his son Mark Joseph had been tagged in scores of carjacking and car theft cases in the past. 

The younger Reyes was allegedly one of the two men posing as anti-drug agents in staging the carjacking of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) in July last year.

The teenager and his mother were arrested in August 2011 following the theft of the Toyota Fortuner of Social Security System vice president Alfredo Villasanta. The son was left behind while his father and two others drove away with the SUV.