SURIGAO CITY – Four out-of-school youth, aged 15 to 17, were apprehended after stealing government-issued equipment from the Administrative and Internal Audit Office at the City Hall Annex Building, Parrucho Street, Barangay Washington, Surigao City.
According to the Surigao City Police Station, the incident occurred on the night of November 6, 2025. CCTV footage showed the minors entering the office through an unlocked sliding window caused by a broken glass lock. Once inside, they took two Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite units, one powerbank, and one Acer Aspire 3A314 Series laptop, all issued to city employees Cecille Gonzaga Forcadilla (Admin Officer V) and Juvilyn Macawili Reños (Admin Officer I), with a total value of ₱30,990.00.
The theft was discovered the following morning by Helen Menor Hadji, 64, prompting City Security personnel to report the incident to the police at 7:45 AM on November 7.
Through a joint operation by the Intelligence Section and the Theft and Robbery Unit (TRU), the stolen items were recovered from the four minors by 11:30 AM on the same day. Police Lt. Col. Atty. Mariano Lukban clarified that the case is not considered a ransack since the suspects entered through an open window.
The minors have been turned over to the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) for documentation and have been endorsed to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for appropriate intervention and care at Bahay Pag-asa, Barangay Anomar. Police said that charges will be filed in coordination with the CSWDO.
The police are reminding the public to secure office equipment and report suspicious activity immediately to prevent similar incidents.