Man shows the money he took from the collection box of the Compostela church. | Contributed photo via Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — A 26-year-old construction worker, who was experiencing hard times and was in between jobs, ended in jail when he was caught stealing money inside a church in Compostela town in northern Cebu at past midnight today, November 15.
Michael Arcenal of Danao City was caught by a resident near the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago Apostol De Compostela in Brgy. Poblacion, Compostela town as the former tried to escape after stealing the money inside the mass collection box of the shrine.
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Based on the investigation of Compostela Police Station, a concerned citizen reported the incident to them.
The resident saw Arcenal allegedly enter the church through an opening of the grill door.
Once inside, the suspect destroyed the lock of the mass collection box and stole P1,797 worth of money from it. He then placed the money in a red cloth.
However, the 47-year-old Compostela resident, who saw him enter the church, waited outside and stopped the suspect, catching him red-handed with the P1,797 cash.
The resident then made a citizen’s arrest and called the police.
He then turned the suspect over to the police when they arrived at the front of the church.
At the police station, the suspect admitted his crime, saying that poverty pushed him to do what he did.
The suspect was detained at the Compostela Police Station detention cell pending the filing of robbery charges.
Compostela is a third class municipality of the Province of Cebu, which is located some 25 kilometers north of Cebu City.