12 dead in bank robbery shootout in Brazil

BRASILIA - Twelve people including 6 hostages were killed on Friday in a shootout between police and bank robbers attempting to blow up ATMs at 2 banks in a small town in northeastern Brazil, authorities said.

Six hostages, among them 2 children, died in the shooting, local media reported, when police opened fire on the robbers at bank branches on the main street in Milagres in the interior of Ceará state.

"Six of the bandits died. We are working to identify the victims," Kelia Jacome, spokeswoman for the governor said by telephone.

She said the attempted night-time robbery was interrupted by a police unit that had been tracking a gang responsible for similar bank robberies in the area, in which explosives were used to blow apart automatic teller machines.

The G1 news website, quoting Milagres Mayor Lielson Landim, reported that 5 of the dead hostages belonged to the same family. Their car had been hijacked by the armed gang that took them as hostages.

Two suspects were arrested by police, who were searching for other gang members with the help of a helicopter, the governor's office said in a statement.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Saudi princess says $900,000 of jewels stolen from her Paris hotel

PARIS - A Saudi princess has reported the theft of jewels worth 800,000 euros ($930,000) from her suite at the Ritz hotel in Paris, a police source said on Monday.

The woman, who was not named, said the jewels were taken on Friday afternoon. There were no signs that the room had been broken into, the source said. The woman told prosecutors the belongings were not left in the room's safe.

A spokesman for the Ritz declined to comment.

If confirmed, it would be the second heist from the chic hotel on Paris's Place Vendome this year.

In January, ax-bearing thieves burst into the lobby and stole millions of dollars worth of necklaces and other jewellery from display cases.

Police managed to catch three of them inside, and two others who escaped on a scooter ended up dropping a bag of their loot. All the jewels were eventually recovered.

Armed thefts are not uncommon in the area, where dozens of luxury boutiques and jewellery stores align the streets.

In December 2017, a man was able to substitute two diamonds and two rings worth 5.5 million euros in a jewellery store, replacing them with cheap fakes.

In October 2016, reality TV star Kim Kardashian was the victim of a robbery 10 minutes walk from the Ritz, in which millions of dollars' worth of her jewellery were stolen.

Police now keep a permanent presence in the neighborhood, but that has done little to deter determined robbers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Robbers wield tear gas in Paris luxury watch raid

PARIS, France - Two men made off with half a million euros' worth of luxury watches after threatening staff at the central Paris offices of Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux with tear gas, police said.

"Two men pretended to be couriers to get the door opened," a police source said.

After threatening staff there with tear gas canisters, they escaped "with about 10 watches with an estimated value of 500,000 euros ($546,000)", said the source.

A spokesman for Girard-Perregaux's parent company Kering confirmed the value of the stolen watches.

In March, a Chopard jewellery store in the nearby Place Vendome was robbed of an undisclosed amount of merchandise by two men armed with a pistol and a grenade.

Security was stepped up in the chic square after a series of violent robberies there in 2014.

Both raids were in the same area that reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed in a luxury apartment by armed men who got away with jewellery worth around nine million euros ($10 million).

kap-jul-apz/afm/har

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lochte sorry for behavior in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO - U.S. gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte on Friday apologized for his behavior at the Olympics after being accused by Brazilian police of inventing a story about an armed robbery to cover for bad behavior at a gas station.

"I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself, and for that am sorry to my team mates," he said on Instagram.

Lochte, together with fellow U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, are accused of having fabricated a story about being robbed by gunmen posing as policemen.

Surveillance footage and an investigation by Brazilian authorities showed that they had vandalized a gas station bathroom and had handed over money to armed security guards who had prevented them from leaving.

In his apology, Lochte, 32, described the night as "traumatic".

"It's traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country - with a language barrier - and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave," he said.

"But regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that am sorry to my team mates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors, and the hosts of this great event."

Lochte, Bentz and Conger have returned to the United States, while Feigen was still in Brazil on Friday morning. Feigen had agreed to pay $11,000 to a Brazilian charity, police said. His passport would be released upon providing a receipt.

It was unclear what, if any, agreement Lochte had made with Brazilian authorities. After arriving in North Carolina on Tuesday, the swimmer has not been seen, apart from giving an interview with Matt Lauer on the "Today Show", which is yet to be aired.

He ended his apology posted Thursday by saying: "There has already been too much said and too many valuable resources dedicated to what happened last weekend, so I hope we spend our time celebrating the great stories and performances of these Games and look ahead to celebrating future successes."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino restaurant in California robbed

REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA – Jacksonville Police arrested and charged Trejuan Martice White, 20, after burglarizing a Filipino restaurant.

According to authorities, White and his companion went inside the Filipino Pho Cuisine along Western Boulevard wearing masks and carrying handguns last Wednesday.

They reportedly pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. They got away with an undisclosed amount of cash and the clerk’s backpack.

The second suspect is still at large.

He is described as white male or light skinned Hispanic male, about 5’7, 18-25 years old, with possible facial hair along the jawline.

Anyone with information is asked to contact JPD Detective Kourtney Martin at 910-938-6407 or Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3278.

Crime stoppers offer cash rewards of up to $2,500 for information leading to arrest.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Knicks forward Williams reports stolen jewelry

NEW YORK - New York Knicks forward Derrick Williams has reported to New York police that $617,000 in jewelry is missing from his apartment.

Authorities say two women are the subject of a search in the case after surveillance video showed them leaving a club last Saturday and going to Williams' home.

After 90 minutes in Williams' upscale Manhattan apartment, the women departed and Williams later found the jewelry missing, then filed a report with the police.

Among the missing items Williams listed were a $50,000 diamond Rolex watch, three diamond rings worth an estimated $30,000 and three gold chains valued at $35,000.

Williams, 24, was the second pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He is averaging 7.3 points a game his season for the Knicks, who are 14-16, fourth worst in the Eastern Conference.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Robber Hits Lewiston Credit Union

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) – Police are hunting for the suspect in the robbery of a Lewiston credit union.

Police say a man walked into the Community Credit Union on Pine Street at about 3 p.m. Wednesday and demanded money.

There were no reports of injuries.

Police did not say whether the suspect got away with any money.

The Sun Journal  reports that a dozen officers as well as a police dog descended on the scene within minutes but were unable to locate the robber.

The suspect was described as white, about 6 feet tall with a crew cut.

source: 560wgan.com

Cops confirm robbery in SM North Edsa

Gun shots were reportedly heard inside the SM City North Edsa at past 7 p.m. on Sunday, which was filled with holiday shoppers two weekends before Christmas.

The incident resulted in a commotion when somebody allegedly shouted that someone was carrying a bomb and a gun. The shoppers were also asked to move to the parking lot and outside the mall.

As of 7:57 p.m., Police Supt. Pedro Sanchez, commander of Quezon City Police District Station 2, said there was a confirmed robbery inside the mall and that the authorities are now investigating.

"Confirmed, may robbery. Pero iniimbestigahan pa," he said.

Initial advisory from the Quezon City Police District said two to three persons were involved in the incident, and a hammer was recovered in the crime scene.

The authorities, however, have yet to give the full details about the incident.

The management of the SM North EDSA mall said the situation is already under control and there were no casualties.

"There is a Martilyo Gang robbery in a store in North Edsa. The police is on top of the situation and handling the matter. No one was hurt. The only weapon used was a martilyo. The mall remains open," a statement from SM read.

SM North EDSA customer, Dr. Babes Arce, said she and her family were in the second floor of the mall when they heard what they believe were gunshots from the ground floor.

"Nandito kami sa second floor ng SM North Edsa may narinig kaming isang loud shot, alam ko baril 'yun e. Tapos nag-scamper na ang mga tao, nag-run to safety sa isang kainan habang narinig ko yung mga iba pang shots ng baril. After a few minutes, medyo naglabasan na yung ibang tao, nagkaroon uli ng putukan dito, bumalik uli kami sa isang kainan," Arce who was still in the mall while being interviewed on radio dzMM.

A gun owner herself, Arce said she and her family are still hiding at the time of interview.

The authorities have already cordoned off the crime scene.– Reports from Henry Atuelan and Johnson Manabat, Jun Lingcoran, dzMM

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Aljur Abrenica loses nearly P600,000 in robbery

MANILA – Actor Aljur Abrenica was robbed of nearly P600,000 worth of cash and valuables in his home in Quezon City during the Holy Week break.

According to an online report of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Abrenica was out of town when his house in Scout Fernandez Street in Barangay Sacred Heart was burglarized.

The report said Abrenica found out about what happened only upon his return to his house on Black Saturday. He left for a vacation last Wednesday at around 5 p.m.

He said the main door of his house, which he left locked, had been forced open and it was evident that the thieves ransacked their rooms at the second floor.

The online report said Abrenica had reported as stolen P150,000 cash, P250,000 worth of jewelry and P135,000 worth of laptops and cellphones.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Maid 'attacks' employer, steals iPhone

MANILA – Quezon City police is hunting down a house helper who allegedly assaulted her employer and robbed her of 3 cellphones, including an iPhone, last Thursday.

“Ester” (not her real name), 64, received 7 stitches after allegedly being hit on the head with a whiskey bottle by her maid, Ruby.

She also sustained bruises all over her body and 2 of her fingers are fractured.

According to Ester, she was in her room when suddenly the doorbell rang.

Ruby knocked on the door, but Ester refused to get out of her room and instructed Ruby not to let anybody in because she was not expecting any visitor.

Moments later, the power went off. She looked out the window to check on her neighbors and saw they had electricity.

When Ester finally decided to come out of her room to look for her cellphone and call her husband, she stepped on something slippery and fell.

Worried that somebody was able to get into the house, she went upstairs to get a flashlight. All the windows were open.

When she was about to go back down, somebody pushed and kicked her down the stairs.

The attacker went after her again, this time with a whiskey bottle. Ester said she tried to stop it with her hand.

She saw from her peripheral vision that the attacker was Ruby.

Ruby then tried spraying her eyes with a chemical, but Ester got away and ran to the bedroom and locked herself in, screaming for help.

When help finally came, Ruby was gone.

She took 3 cellphones with her and 100 peso bills worth P1,500.

Ester also learned that for days now, Ruby had been asking about the schedule of her family and where the CCTV in the house is.

Ester is willing to give a P50,000 reward for the capture of Ruby.

According to Ester, Ruby was just referred by a friend and all they know is that she is from Laoag.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Robbers nabbed while digging tunnel into Las Piñas pawnshop

Five members of a robbery group were nabbed early Saturday morning while digging a tunnel to gain entry to a pawnshop in Las Pinas City, a police official said.

Chief Supt. Benito Estipona, Southern Police District director, said that the suspects, members of a local organized crime group known as "acetylene gang," were arrested 5:30 a.m. while digging an underground entrance to the DM Garcia Pawnshop located at Angela Village, Alabang-Zapote Road.

After being arrested, authorities seized some P15,000 and a calculator from the suspects, Jim Bautista, Aldo Malama, Jun Wangler, Jack Hasanta, and Arnel Taneg, Estipona said.

The suspects failed to gain entry into the pawnshop's safety vault. They were tagged in a string of other pawnshop thefts in Pasay City and Cavite.

source: interaksyon.com

Robinsons mall heist leaves 3 hurt

Two security guards and a bank teller were wounded in a robbery incident inside Robinsons Metro East mall in Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig City on Friday.

Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel, Eastern Police District director, said two armed men robbed a bank teller who was supposed to deliver money to Robinsons Bank.

Aside from the bank teller, two security guards were injured in the robbery. They were bank teller security aide Edwin Garcia and grocery store guard Domingo Rodriguez. The teller’s identity has yet to be revealed.

Laurel said the teller disclosed that some P550,000 were taken by the suspects.

He said the two men were armed with .45-caliber pistol each.

Another man also reportedly served as the robbers’ lookout, while two more waited outside the mall.

The injured victims were rushed to nearby Salve Regina General Hospital for treatment.

The suspects’ get-away vehicle, a white Hyundai vehicle, was abandoned in Barangay San Roque, Marikina.

Laurel said they will investigate how the armed suspects were able to enter the mall.

“Malaking tanong iyan dahil may mga gwardya. Mahigpit naman ang mga gwardya, yan ang tinitignan natin.,” Laurel said.

Police will also examine footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera to identify the suspects.

A witness said mallgoers panicked upon hearing the gunshots. She said the shootout lasted about 5 minutes.

The mall management has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. – reports from Johnson Manabat, dzMM; and Doland Castro, ABS-CBN News

article source: abs-cbnnews.com

Robbed by maid, Greek millionaire probed by taxman

ATHENS - A Greek businessman got more than he bargained for when a complaint about a maid stealing a million euros ($1.3 million) earned him the unwelcome attention of the taxman, ANA news agency reported Wednesday.

After the millionaire reported the theft of the cash from a safe in his villa in a chic Athens suburb, prosecutors ordered the national fraud office Sdoe to investigate whether the money was properly declared.

He told police that the money came from proceeds from a recent property sale and that he was about to re-invest it, and that he thought his safe was more secure than putting it in the bank in the current crisis.

The incident comes just as the country seeks to clamp down on tax evasion, which has been blamed for contributing to bringing the country to the brink of eurozone ejection.

Police recovered half the cash from the alleged thief meanwhile, a 33-year-old from Georgia, who said the remainder had already been invested in her home country.

source: interaksyon.com

Man, 20, Hurt After Lynched By Mob In Jeepney Robbery

MANILA, Philippines - A 20-year-old robbery suspect was lynched by a mob after he allegedly victimized a jeepney passenger in Makati City last Saturday night.

Police said that suspect Jayjuan Milagrosa suffered cuts and bruises because of the beating he received from a mob that went after him, allegedly after a heist.

An initial investigation showed that the incident happened at around 9 p.m. in Buendia, Makati City.

Before the incident, Catherine Nacua, fastfood chain employee, was on board a passenger jeep bound for Ayala Avenue.

When the passenger jeep reached a stoplight, the suspect, along with four other supposed cohorts, allegedly grabbed the bag of the complainant and ran away.

But the complainant did not easily give up and called for help while the suspects were making their getaway.

As a result, bystanders in the area went after the suspect and eventually caught up with the latter.

After catching up with the suspect, the mob started mauling the suspect, who was seemingly served from further beating upon the arrival of night watchmen, who in turn took him to the police.

Quisumbing lamented that he has yet to get a witness to tell what had happened since people in the area refused to provide a sworn statement before police.

The investigator cited that many of the residents in the compound where the Guasch family lives are mostly comprised of relatives who had told police that the fight is an internal matter for the family.

source: mb.com.ph