U.S. vs.

Sanchez

Facts: The municipal president and the acting chief of police of

Caloocan, Rizal, had information that two nights earlier, a robbery had

occurred in a boat on the river. Another robbery occurred in a billiard

room. The acting chief of police acquired the information that Benigno

Aranzanso had been in that billiard room that night of the robbery. The
acting chief of police directed policeman Sanchez to look for Benigno

Aranzanso in order that he might be identified by the boatmen in

connection with the robbery committed in the boat. The description

given of the person who had been in the billiard room fitted Aranzanso.

Policeman Sanchez proceeded to arrest him in the cockpit on the next

morning, took him to the town hall, and detained him in the municipal

jail until before nightfall of the same day, when he was set at liberty by

order of the municipal president. No warrant was previously issued for

his detention.

Held: The arrest and detention of Benigno Aranzanso for the purpose
of identifying his person, were justified, since according to the acting

chief of police reasonable grounds existed for believing in the

existence of a crime and suspicion pointed to that individual. It is,

therefore, beyond dispute that defendant Sanchez did not commit the

crime charged against him.