Naga City police chase for 2 hours suspect who flees with police truck

Police chased for two hours and caught a suspect in a mauling incident who drove away in a police pick up truck in Naga City in southern Cebu on Sunday, July 1.

The suspect, Ricarti Cantano, 25, was being taken into custody for allegedly mauling his minor live-in partner when he was able to get into the driver’s seat and drove way with the police vehicle.

According to Chief Insp. Roderick Gonzales, the Naga City Police Station chief, the incident happened while Cantano, a resident of Purok Cadahuan, Barangay Lutac, Consolacion, was being transported to the city police station for questioning for allegedly mauling his 15-year-old live-in partner.

He said Cantano was seated with some policemen and social workers at the open bed of the pick up truck when he started banging the body of the vehicle.

This prompted the driver to stop the patrol truck. Everyone disembarked from the vehicle, including the young female complainant, to appease Cantano.

Catano was then instructed to sit in the back seat of the truck, where the young complainant was also seated.

The girl was also about the board the vehicle when Cantano, instead of going to the back seat, went for the driver’s seat and drove away with the patrol car, leaving everyone behind.

Gonzales and his personnel immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation and caught up with Cantano near a quarry area in Barangay West Poblacion of Naga City at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, or around two hours after the suspect was able to get hold the vehicle.

Cantano will face charges for carnapping, on top of charges for violation of Republic Act 9262, or the anti-violence against women act, should his live-in partner pursues a case against him, said Gonzales.