A LATE-NIGHT burglary attempt at the Davao Diamond Industrial Supply warehouse along Alvarez Street, Barangay 27-C, took a turn when one of the suspects engaged in a shootout with patrolling police officers.
The incident, which unfolded around 11:10 p.m. on April 30, 2025, resulted in one suspect being shot and the subsequent arrest of his accomplice.
According to the Davao City Police Office report, a concerned citizen alerted Mobile No. 15, manned by Police Corporal Jumawan and Patrolman Villegas, to suspicious noises emanating from the warehouse.
Upon contacting the owner and entering the premises, the officers encountered Danelo Limbadan Montenegro, 30, a laborer residing in Agdao, and Dexter Cañamo Sardoncillo, 25, a resident of the same barangay.
As the police officers moved to apprehend the suspects, Montenegro allegedly drew a .38 caliber revolver and fired at Patrolman Villegas, who managed to evade the shot.
The police officers returned fire, hitting Montenegro in the foot. His cohort, Sardoncillo, immediately scampered toward the roof of the warehouse. He was later arrested after law enforcers found his hiding place on the roof.
Authorities confiscated Montenegro’s firearm, which contained one fired cartridge case and two live rounds. A subsequent search also yielded two heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, estimated to be worth P17,680.
Investigation revealed that the suspects entered the warehouse by accessing the adjacent abandoned building. From there, they climbed and detached the warehouse roof.
Police recovered a crowbar, magnetic switches, PBC wires, an automatic voltage power regulator, and various electrical wires, with a total estimated value of P26,750, from the suspects.
During a body search, Sardoncillo was also found to be in possession of two heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, identical to those found on Montenegro and with the same estimated street value.
Both Montenegro and Sardoncillo are in the custody of the Sta. Ana Police Station.
Meanwhile, Captain Hazel Caballero, the spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office, said the incident underscores the risks faced by law enforcers during routine patrols. She also highlighted how the help of the community will curb crime.
