A repeat offender and his minor accomplice were arrested by operatives of the Quezon City Police District’s (QCPD) Galas Police Station 11 after they were allegedly caught stealing telecommunications cable wires owned by Globe Telecom along Quezon Avenue in Barangay Doña Josefa, Quezon City.
In a statement, the QCPD said the suspects were identified only as “John Lloyd,” 24 years old, a resident of Sampaloc, Manila, and a 16-year-old boy from Barangay Sto. Niño, Quezon City.
Police said the two were apprehended at around 6 am on May 10 during an anti-criminality patrol conducted by officers under the leadership of Police Lt. Col. Virgilio Jopia.
According to investigators, the suspects were allegedly caught in the act of cutting and stealing copper cable wires connected to a telecommunications post owned by Globe Telecom.
Recovered from the suspects were 11 pieces of telephone and internet copper cable wires measuring five meters each, and one additional piece measuring 14 meters long. Authorities estimated the total damage at P12,105.86.
Further verification by police revealed that alias “John Lloyd” previously faced a criminal case for malicious mischief filed in June 2023.
The suspects are set to face charges for violation of Republic Act 10515, or the Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013, as well as theft. Meanwhile, the minor will be turned over to the Molave Youth Home in Quezon City, police said.
“QCPD remains relentless in its campaign against all forms of criminality, especially repeat offenders who continue to target public utilities and essential services. We assure the public that our intensified anti-criminality operations will continue to protect both the community and vital infrastructure from unlawful activities,” QCPD District Director Randy Glenn Silvio said.