Cellphones snatched in Imus, Cavite tracked in San Juan City mall

Two cellphones snatched in separate incidents in Imus, Cavite by men aboard a motorcycle were tracked in a mall in San Juan City, according to a report on State of the Nation by Vonne Aquino.

The owners, however, failed to retrieve their mobile phones.  One of them said he traced the location of his cellphone in the mall a day after it was stolen. 

His latest tracking, however, showed the unit was no longer in the area.

Authorities believe the same suspects were responsible for the separate incidents.

"Joseph," a student, said he was walking along NIA Road in Barangay Carsadang Bago 2 in Imus when the suspects came behind him and scratched his phone, a gift from his parents.

"Kaba po talaga eh kaya di ko na po namukhaan,  yung tumulong po sa akin tricycle driver po hindi po namin nahabol (I was frightened, I failed to catch a glimpse of the thieves.  A tricycle driver helped, but we can't catch up with them)," he said.

After tracking the phone in the San Juan City mall, he said he sought help from the Greenhills Police Community Precinct.

"Ang sabi po nila di daw po sila makakasama sa amin, kailangan daw namin isa isahin yung store para maidentify yung CP ko po. Nagtanong din po kami sa security guard ng mall ang sinabi po nila ganon din po, di nila kami matutulungan (The police said they can't come with us inside the mall, they said we have to check with the stores there one by one.  The security guards said the same thing, that they can't be of aid)," Joseph said.

Police Captain Jesus Agcaoili Jr., chief of Greenhills Police Substation, said the presence of the police inside might alert the robbers and hide.

From January 1, 2025 to February 7, the police station said a total of 29 cases of stolen cellphones have been reported to them.

The management of the mall refused to issue a statement when asked by GMA Integrated News. —LDF, GMA Integrated News