Police arrested a woman after she allegedly stole cash from the room of a priest inside an orphanage in Minglanilla, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14. The victim, identified by police as Alias Tina, 31, a resident of Cebu City, reported that money was taken from the priest’s room within the orphanage compound.
According to the initial police investigation, the priest discovered around 5:30 p.m. that his room had been forcibly opened and that more than P199,000 was missing. Police said the amount reportedly represented accumulated donations from Misa de Gallo and New Year’s contributions.
Closed-circuit television footage reviewed by investigators showed the suspect arriving outside the priest’s room and taking a set of picklock tools from her bag. Authorities said the tools were used to open the door, allowing the suspect to enter the room and take the cash.
The priest immediately reported the incident to the Minglanilla Police Station. Police launched a follow-up operation, which led to the suspect’s arrest later that evening.
Authorities said they were able to recover part of the stolen money from the suspect. However, only P15,000 was retrieved. Police also recovered a set of picklock keys and a motorcycle that investigators said was purchased using the stolen funds.
The suspect was taken into police custody and is expected to face theft-related charges. Police did not release further details about her identity pending the filing of formal complaints.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine whether additional items were taken and to establish the full extent of the incident.
