Minor apprehended for stealing coins from water dispensing machine

This is a screenshot of a CCTV that captured how a 14-year-old boy stole coins from an automatic water dispensing machine in Brgy. Duljo Fatima, Cebu City on March 12, 2024. | via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities here apprehended a minor for reportedly stealing coins from a water dispensing machine on Tuesday, March 12.

The crime took place inside a carwash in B. Aranas Extension, Brgy. Duljo Fatima, Cebu City around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police in Mambaling Police Station reported.

READ: 16-year-old ‘robbed’ schools in Olango Island

The suspect was later found out to be a 14-year-old male school dropout or out-of-school youth.

Based on initial findings, the owner of the carwash, Jerry Perez Palantoy, caught the teenager opening the portions of one of his water dispensing machine, locally known as automatic tubig machines (ATM), with a wrench.

The crime was also recorded through one of Palantoy’s closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).

READ: Police nab alleged teen robber with illegal firearm in Cebu City

Palantoy chased down the minor and caught him. The victim then turned over the suspect to the barangay tanods who eventually referred the case to the Mambaling police.

Investigators later found out that the teen suspect was the same one who burglarized Palantoy’s water dispensing machines last March 7, wherein he carted away P3,500 worth of proceeds.

The minor is currently under the custody of the Mambaling Police Station, and will be turned over to the right agency for proper disposition, police said.

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