Authorities swiftly apprehended four men who stole a pot of food from a cafeteria in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, thanks to the establishment’s CCTV footage.
The CCTV footage captured the suspects arriving on a motorcycle, with two of them approaching the eatery. One of them quickly snatched a pot of food when the opportunity arose.
Although the suspects managed to escape initially, they were later caught in a police follow-up operation. The stolen pot was recovered, but its contents, a serving of adobo, were already consumed.
In addition to the CCTV evidence, a tricycle driver also witnessed the incident. When questioned by the police, the suspects remained silent, only admitting to being under the influence of alcohol.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had no prior police or barangay records and had never been involved in such activities before.
The suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings for theft but were released after the eatery owner withdrew the complaint. They also paid a settlement of P1,500 to the owner.