Theft case filed against barber caught shoplifting in Talisay City

A barber from Lapu-Lapu City, who allegedly shoplifts if he has no customer, was turned over by the arresting security guard after he took items from a mall in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City on Monday, August 8, 2022. | Photo courtesy of Talisay PS

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police have filed a theft case against a man who was caught shoplifting in a mall last Monday, August 8, 2022, in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of Talisay City Police Station, confirmed that they already filed a theft case against Jerome Abanay, 47, a barber and a resident of Barangay Pusok in Lapu-Lapu City, on Tuesday, August 9.

Caballes said that Abanay was turned over to their station on Monday evening after the duty security guard, Aljon Altoveros, 30, arrested the suspect for shoplifting four pairs of branded short pants from inside the mall.

Abanay allegedly wore these four pairs of shorts inside the mall’s fitting room and proceeded immediately to the exit area. That set off the mall’s sensor.

Abanay tried to escape, which resulted to a brief chase between him and the guard, but he was quickly collared and arrested.

Caballes said that Abanay is a barber in Lapu-Lapu City who sidelines as a shoplifter when he has no customer to attend to.

Abanay allegedly started shoplifting when he was 45 years old. Caballes added that the suspect was recently arrested twice for the same offense in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

Caballes said that Abanay usually shoplifts pairs of shorts and sold these to buy himself illegal drugs. He allegedly buys ‘shabu’ in Barangay Pasil in Cebu City.

Caballes added that the arrest of the suspect is somehow a proof of the effectiveness of their coordination with security personnel of malls and shops in the city.

Earlier this month, Caballes had a meeting with the security officers of malls and shops in the city and taught them on how they can quickly detect shoplifting modus.

He said that they schedule a lecture with the employees and the security officers of the city’s shopping centers once a week about the modus and the noted personalities of this crime offense.

After the said meeting, this is the first time that the security personnel of a mall turned over this “noted” shoplifter in their station.

Following the arrest of the suspect, Caballes said that they will continue to intensify their collaboration with the city’s shopping centers to further address this concern.

Caballes further appeals to the owners or managers of these shopping malls to always file a complaint against perpetrators.

/bmjo

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