By Jennifer P. Rendon
A suspected hold-upper who allegedly robbed a couple of their valuables, including a global positioning system (GPS)-capable mobile phone, was tracked down and arrested in a follow-up operation several hours after the incident.
Jessemen Dayanan, 40, of Zone 5, Barangay Boulevard, Molo, Iloilo, apparently failed to immediately turn off the iPhone 12 Pro Max he stole from a couple who was renting an apartment in Mandurriao district.
Worse, Dayanan was also accused of sexually molesting his female victim.
Major Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, Mandurriao police chief, said that alias May (real name withheld), 32, who hails from Davao City, claimed that the suspect molested her inside their apartment.
Police reports indicated that they received the report of a robbery at Lopez Subdivision in Barangay Q. Abeto, Mandurriao.
May told responding policemen that a man with his face covered with a rider’s mask barged into the apartment.
At that time, May, who was alone, was still up as she was on a work-from-home set up. Her live-in partner, Carl Bryan Anas, 26, was at work as a call center agent.
She described the man to be around 5 feet and 5 inches and medium built.
The man allegedly blindfolded her, poked a gun at her and sexually molested her.
Dayanan later took every valuable inside the apartment and placed them inside the victim’s duffle bag.
As the suspect was about to leave the apartment, he crossed path with Anas who just came from work. He also poked a gun on Anas’ head and grabbed his wallet and mobile phone.
The couple told police authorities they lost an iPhone 12 Pro Max worth P70,000, an HP laptop valued at P30,000, speakers worth P1,000, a Vivo mobile phone worth P18,000, an Oppo mobile phone worth P18,000, the duffle bag valued at P2,000, and a black wallet containing ATM and ID cards and P3,000 cash.
Police later learned of the suspect’s location through the “Find My iPhone” feature of one of the stolen phones.
Apple’s iPhone feature is capable of locating a device in real time and is used in tracking a lost or stolen phone.
The robber appeared to have turned off the phone around 6 pm Sunday, or more than 15 hours after the robbery.
He was first tracked in La Paz district.
“Based on the last GPS location, his last known location before turning off the phone was at Zone 5, Barangay Boulevard, where he was residing,” Gesulga said.
Members of Mandurriao Police Station, together with the Iloilo City Police Station-City Intelligence Unit (ICPO-CIU), went to the location of the stolen phone.
Dayanan was drinking liquor, together with his live-in partner, when police collared him.
The suspect allegedly resisted and assaulted policemen.
“That’s why, necessary force was applied to restrain him,” Gesulga said.
Recovered from Dayanan’s possession were a caliber .38 Smith and Wesson revolver (serial number (49058) with nine ammunition, a silver .22 revolver loaded with two ammunition, and the victims’ stolen items.
Gesulga said they recovered other gadgets that Dayanan may have taken from other persons.
“We suspect that it was not the first time that he committed such an act,” Gesulga said.
Police are also investigating if the suspect is an active security guard since a blue guard’s identification card was taken from his possession.
Gesulga said they are preparing charges for robbery with rape against the suspect.
