A garbage man employed by city waste management contractor IPM Construction and Development Corporation (IPM-CDC) was arrested Tuesday morning on suspected robbery, after he was allegedly found in possession of items stolen from a La Castellana municipal employee who was robbed earlier this week in Bacolod City’s Barangay 11.

Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Ruel Canja, a resident of Purok Totong in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City.

Based on a report by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), operatives from Police Stations 1 and 7 tracked down the stolen items using the global positioning system (GPS) on the victim’s mobile phone.

Canja claimed to have found the bag, which was owned by 40-year-old Mitzie Pille, amid a garbage pile inside the dump truck.

Although Canja did not directly snatch the victim’s bag, police ruled he committed the crime as he refused to surrender the bag to police.

Aside from the mobile phone, the bag also contained a GoPro Camera worth P20,000. However, P200,000 cash, reportedly among the bag’s contents, remains unaccounted for.

Canja faces theft charges as authorities proceed with their investigation./DGB, WDJ