Newly-hired maid who stole P2.6M worth of jewelry in San Juan nabbed in Leyte

A newly-hired household helper was arrested by law enforcers in Leyte after she stole P2.6 million worth of jewelry from her employer in San Juan City.

According to John Consulta’s report in 24 Oras on Thursday, the 24-year old suspect was just two weeks on the job when she committed the crime last October.

The victim said the suspect asked permission from her to return to the province because her sister was injured in an accident.

“She seemed so nice naman. Nagpaalam siya, sabi niya na-disgrasya yung sister niya. She has to leave kasi inuutusan siya ng mother niya,” the victim said.

(She seemed so nice. She informed me that her sister was involved in an accident. She has to leave per her mother’s request.)

The victim was unaware that millions worth of her jewelry were already stolen by the helper who she hired after meeting her om Facebook.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) immediately held a hot pursuit operation in Leyte.

Recovered from the suspect was a receipt from a pawnshop where she sold the stolen accessories. A ring worth half a million pesos was only sold for P21,000, the report said.

Also retrieved during the operation were the two cellphones she purchased with the proceeds from the stolen goods.

The suspect who goes by the alias “Alex” claimed that she committed the crime to pay the hospital expenses of her sister.

“Humihingi ako ng tawad sa inyo, Ma’am. Kung hindi niyo po ako mapapatawad, okay lang po,” she said.

(I’m very sorry, Ma’am. If you can’t forgive me, that’s alright.)

But authorities said that there’s no truth to the claims of the suspect.

“Walang katotohanan yun. Upon apprehension, nung tinail namin sila…galing sa gimikan itong ating suspek together with their sister and some of her friends. So ni galos wala kaming nakita sa sinasabi niyang kapatid na na-ospital,” said NBI agent John Erwin Marasigan.

(There’s no truth to her statements. Upon apprehension, when we tailed them…the suspect, her sister, and some of their friends just came from a hangout. There was not a hint of an injury on her sister whom she claimed was hospitalized.)

The suspect is facing charges for qualified theft and the NBI will also send a letter to the pawnshop to return the stolen jewelry.

Further, the pawnshop will face charges for violation of the Anti-Fencing Law.

The NBI called on the public to conduct a thorough background check on household helpers being hired via social media. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News