Report: Pinoy loses car to thieves in Saudi

It seems that not only Pinoys in Metro Manila lose their cars to car thieves. A Filipino, a resident of Faisaliyah district, told a Saudi-based news site that car thieves exploited the heavy rains in Jeddah this week and took his vehicle. "I parked my car ... and went upstairs to get some rest. Five minutes later, I heard the sound of glass being broken and when I looked outside the window, someone was speeding away with my car," he said, in an interview posted on Arab News Friday. He said the incident occurred after he arrived home from work after being stranded for several hours due to the heavy rains. "Arriving home was a miracle for me," said the Filipino, who was identified only as Alfonso. Car thefts gained national attention in the Philippines following two high-profile carjack-slay cases that authorities blamed on the Dominguez Gang. Last Jan. 12, Emerson Lozano and driver Ernani Sencil disappeared in Quezon City while meeting a prospective buyer of Lozano's van. Sencil's charred body was found Jan. 13 in Tarlac, while that of Lozano was found in Pampanga Jan. 14. Lozano's van was found burning in Pampanga last Jan. 19. On Jan. 13, car dealer Venson Evangelista disappeared while on a test drive of his Toyota Land Cruiser in Quezon City. His charred and brutalized body was found in Nueva Ecija the next day. Carjackers also struck in Makati City, taking a sport-utility vehicle of Margarita Fores, a cousin of former Sen. Manuel Roxas II. They likewise struck in Quezon City, taking a van of radio host Carl Balita. — RSJ, GMANews.TV