The victim, identified only by the name Priscilla, reported to the Fort Bonifacio Sub-station 1 of the Taguig City Police after her pink cellphone was stolen while she was making payments at the cashier's counter at The Market Place in BGC.
(Contributed photo)
It was discovered that Priscilla was live streaming on Facebook while shopping for goods.
While she was in line to pay at the cashier, six individuals suddenly bumped into her from the front and back, causing her to lose focus on her belongings.
Priscilla only noticed her phone was missing when she was leaving the store. She promptly reported the incident to the security guard who took her to the administrative office.
Arnel Nono, the administration officer of The Market Place, accompanied the victim to Fort Bonifacio Sub-Station 1 to file a complaint and request to view the mall's CCTV footage. However, Nono refused to provide a copy of the CCTV recording without a court order.
According to Priscilla, three of the suspects were captured on her Facebook Live stream and she said these were some of the individuals who bumped into her. Priscilla also traced her stolen phone via her Find My iPhone app to a location in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City.
Upon receiving the information, the police went to the location but failed to find the suspects. In a subsequent operation by the Taguig City Police - Sub-station 1, Priscilla's iPhone 15 Plus was found being sold in shops at the Greenhills Shopping Mall in San Juan City.
(Taguig City Police photo)
Two of the six suspects were also identified and arrested after being pointed out by the person who had mistakenly bought the stolen phone.
Priscilla has filed a complaint against the suspects and expressed her profound gratitude to the Taguig City Police for helping her arrest the suspects and recover her cellphone.
The Taguig City Police advise the public to be vigilant in public places and immediately report any suspicious individuals to the police. Any information can be forwarded to the PNP Hotlines: 0998 598 7932 and 8642 3582.
