Man faces charges after family squabble

By: Nestle Semilla April 27,2016 - 04:23 AM

James Abella is under police custody. (CDN PHOTO / LITO TECSON)

James Abella is under police custody. (CDN PHOTO / LITO TECSON)

POLICE held a 36-year-old construction worker in custody after he forcibly entered a pawnshop in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City at about 5 p.m.  Tuesday.

James Abella barged into the two-story property that houses Agencia Niña, claiming ownership of the entire property, including the pawnshop that is being run by elder half-sister Cristina Abella.

House helpers Ann Tanjay and Shena Marie Borongan told the police that the suspect brought along two barangay tanods with him and showed them a copy of an alleged “Power of Attorney” supposedly signed by his mother, as the original owner of the house,  identifying him as now the rightful owner of the property.

He then demanded for the keys to the house.

James allegedly grabbed the keys from Tanjay, who in turn called her employer Cristina.

According to Chief Inspector Jose Gesto, chief of the Guadalupe Police, they received a call from Cristina at around 6:35 p.m. about the alleged commotion caused by her half-brother inside the property.

Police negotiated for the release of the two house helps but James demanded that his uncle Gabriel Banzon enter the house in exchange.

But Gesto and his police officers went inside the house and rescued the two house helpers.

Cristina said she planned to file charges of illegal detention and trespassing against her half-brother.

She told the police that her half brother might be after the pawnshop vault which contained valuables.

Gesto clarified that there was no hostage taking because Abella was not carrying any weapon.

Gesto said an inventory will be conducted to determine if anything was missing in the pawnshop.

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TAGS: Cebu, family, hostage

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