Cops hunt female suspect in theft of 371 bags of rice
SAN JOSE CITY – A 40-year-old female rice trader lost 371 bags of rice worth more than half-a-million pesos after it was allegedly sold by her secretary without her knowledge and permission while it was stored in a rice mill here on Wednesday.
City police head Lt. Col. Criselda Y. De Guzman said victim France Lou Correa, single, of Zone 3, Bgy. Sto. Niño first reported the theft incident to the police after she found out that the several cavans of rice she placed at the Sanchez Rice Mill in Bgy. Tulat for storage were missing.
Correa said she discovered that the entire rice cargo worth P568,000 was allegedly sold by her secretary identified as Maria Leah De Guzman of Villa Ramos Subd., Bgy. Abar 1st, this city without her knowledge and permission.
Correa said she was too busy tending to her store at the city public market as she entrusted the suspect to supervise the handling of the palay stocked at the said rice mill.
“Parang anak na ang turing sa kanya ng aking magulang tapos ganito pa ang gagawin niya sa amin, pinagkatiwalaan namin siya,” said the victim in an interview with this reporter Friday.
“Doon kasi kami nagpapagiling ng palay sa rice mill, tapos ang suspect nag-aahente din ng palay at bigas hindi ko alam na ganoon pala ang ginagawa niya,” she added.
The victim immediately sought the help of the police after the suspect went missing and could not be located.
Charges for qualified theft were filed against the suspect before the city prosecutor’s office here.
