POLICE arrested a man suspected to be the leader of a group that robbed a pawnshop in barangay Buanoy, Balamban town, southwest Cebu.
Lauro Vergara, 30, was identified by witnesses as one of the five who robbed Palawan Pawnshop Sunday afternoon, said Supt. Rodolfo Albotra, chief of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB).
The suspects took off with close to P300,000 cash, police said.
Alan Milan, chief watchman of barangay Buanoy, was among those who collared Vergara.
Milan said Vergara even tried to shoot him when he and fellow barangay tanods responded to the robbery alarm.
“His hands were shaking when he tried to shoot me. Luckily, the gun misfired,” Milan said in Cebuano.
Albotra said Vergara admitted that his group was responsible for the series of pawnshop and delivery van robberies.
During the arrest last Tuesday, police seized a .38 cal. revolver with three live rounds, two large and six medium sachets suspected to contain shabu from the suspect. The drug haul was estimated at P113,752.
Vergara is detained at the PIB office pending the filing of charges against him, police said.