Robbery of Chinese teenager, 17: Charges prepared vs 4 suspects

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are preparing to file robbery charges against four suspects, a woman and three members of the LGBTQ community, accused of stealing cash and belongings from a 17-year-old Chinese national student inside a motel room in the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

Police said the victim and one suspect first became acquainted at a club in Cebu City on July 25. The two met again the following day at a mall in the city, where they agreed to go to a motel together.

Inside the motel

Police said the suspect let three companions into the room while the victim was taking a shower, without the victim’s knowledge.

The victim reportedly noticed an unfamiliar person in the room upon stepping out of the bathroom, which led to a confrontation, according to police.

READ: 7 nabbed in Cebu bar theft targeting foreign tourists

Police said the victim, outnumbered by the four suspects, was forced to give up all personal belongings, including cash, jewelry, and a cellphone.

The victim thereafter immediately reported the incident to Waterfront Police Station.

Suspects deny the charge

The suspects have denied robbing the victim, according to police. One suspect claimed instead that the four had agreed to a paid sexual arrangement with the victim.

The same suspect also disputed the claim regarding the missing cellphone, stating the device belonged to their group rather than the victim and had been left with a relative.

Arrest and recovery

Police said the victim’s report prompted an intensive follow-up operation by Waterfront Police Station, led by Police Captain Michael Sevilla.

Investigators inspected CCTV footage from the motel, which led to the suspects’ identification, according to police.

Police said the victim’s cellphone was found in the suspects’ possession, which led to their arrest around 10 p.m. the following night. The four suspects were apprehended one after another, police said.

A police officer present during the press conference said the victim reported losing roughly ₱20,000 in Philippine currency and US $800 in foreign currency.

The officer said part of the amount has been recovered, while police have yet to recover the rest.

Police Lieutenant Col. Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy city director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office, said the suspects’ general scheme was to approach tourists at malls or clubs, gain their trust, and lure them to a motel or hotel, where they would rob them, threatening them with the use of bladed or pointed objects.

“Kini siya grupo sa mga ingon ani nga mga modus, conspiring with one another to commit the crime of robbery sa mga foreign ug local tourists dinhi sa atong siyudad,” Oriol said.

(This is a group with this kind of modus, conspiring with one another to commit the crime of robbery against foreign and local tourists in our city)

A police officer said other stations had reported similar incidents, and that this particular group simply happened to get caught this time.

Other cases being filed

Oriol said a separate robbery case involving a Korean national is also being prepared for filing on the same day. Police have yet to confirm whether this case is connected to the same four suspects.

Oriol added that Waterfront Police Station had already identified two other alleged victims linked to the group, and coordination with other police stations is ongoing to determine if there are similar unresolved robbery cases.

Police are still verifying the suspects’ addresses and have yet to confirm whether any of them have prior criminal records.

Status

The suspects remain in custody as police work to file the robbery complaint within the day.

Oriol thanked personnel from Waterfront Police Station, barangay officials, and cooperating business establishments for their role in locating and arresting the suspects.

He appealed for other possible victims to come forward, noting that not all victims were foreign tourists and that some were local tourists from the provinces visiting Cebu.

“Palihug lang, dangop lang dayon dinhi sa Police Station 3 aron ma-file nato ang mga kaso niining atong mga suspects,” Oriol said.

(Please turn to us for help right away at Police Station 3 so we can file the cases against these suspects.)

Authorities also advised the public to be cautious of strangers who quickly try to gain their trust before suggesting they go elsewhere together.

READ: Wanted robbery suspect nabbed in Marinduque manhunt

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.