2 of 3 convenience store robbers nabbed

POLICE authorities arrested yesterday two of the three armed men who held up the staff of a convenience store along Quimpo Boulevard Branch in Ecoland at dawn.

The suspects were arrested in a pursuit operation in Barangay 39–D in Quimpo Boulevard in Davao City. One of the suspects is a security guard of the same store who was about to be dropped from the rolls.

Talomo Police Station commander Chief Inspector Alfredo T. Santillan identified the two suspects as Omar Baumol Ponte, 19, a security guard from Superior Security Agency, resident of Lampangog in Sultan Kudarat, and Abdulrasid Leong Langalen, 20, a resident of General SK Pendatun in Maguindanao.

Initial investigation revealed that around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Central Base 911 contacted the Talomo Police Station and informed the police personnel about a robbery hold-up incident at the Davao Central Convenience Store–Quimpo Boulevard Branch.

Talomo police in coordination with the personnel of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Special Weapons and Tactics immediately conducted a pursuit operation.

The robbery was captured on close circuit television (CCTV) camera of the store. Based on the footage, Ponte took the

issued caliber.38 revolver of a security guard inside the locker while the other suspects pointed their guns at the cashier Daryl Glenn Amantiad Barinan and supervisor Juan Miguel Tohon Martinez.

Langalen entered the cashier’s booth and fired at the vault four times, but failed to open it thus the suspects only took the P500 cash from the drawer of the cashier. The suspects left heading towards Juna Subdivision in Matina.

Santillan said the two suspects were arrested after Ponte re-appeared and reported for duty at the Convenience Store at 7:20 a.m. that prompted the police officers to hold Ponte, and along with the cashier and supervisor, they went to the rented house of the guard at the back of the Almendras Gymnasium in Barangay 39-D.

The complainants positively identified the other two suspects who also robbed their store. However, one of the three suspects was able to jump out the window thus only two were arrested. The police are now looking for a certain Anton, who hails from Pikit town in North Cotabato.

Recovered from the rented house of the suspects were one caliber.45 Colt USA pistol loaded with a magazine with four live ammunition, a stainless silencer measuring around 8-inches, another caliber. 45 pistol, a caliber .38 homemade revolver loaded with four live ammunition, a fragmentation grenade, two small sachets of suspected shabu, and other personal belongings.

The two suspects are now detained at the Talomo Police Station. The suspects will be charged for robbery under the Revised Penal Code, and Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 before the City Prosecution Office. ICT