Felon, accomplice found with gun, drugs in Newport Beach false imprisonment case

Newport Beach police Tuesday arrested two men on suspicion of assault with a firearm, criminal threats, narcotics possession and false imprisonment, among other charges, after responding to a report of a woman being held against her will inside a residence.

Department spokeswoman Heather Rangel said Wednesday a call came into the station at 12:25 p.m. from a woman claiming a male suspect was holding her daughter hostage inside a residence on the 1900 block of Sherington Place.

When officers arrived at the apartment complex, they spoke with a woman on scene who reported seeing two men on the premises jump from a balcony and flee on foot, according to a release issued Tuesday.

One suspect was located at a nearby location on the same property and detained, while the other was found near the junction of Seagull Lane and 16th Street. Officers discovered a loaded handgun and a “large quantity of narcotics,” in the suspects’ possession, the release stated.

Philip Sabarillo Manubag, 36, of Newport Beach, was booked on suspicion of false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, threatening a crime with the intent to terrorize and carrying a loaded firearm. The self-described “entrepreneur” had also violated the terms of his parole, according to police.

Orange County Superior Court records show a suspect named Philipmarc Sabarillo Manubag had been charged with multiple felonies related to three previous incidents in 2021, for which he was sentenced to serve time in state prison.

He was charged by the district attorney’s office with domestic violence, criminal threats, false imprisonment affected by violence, menace, fraud or deceit and evading police/reckless driving, stemming from a March 14, 2021 incident.

Less than two weeks later, he was back in court, answering to charges of false imprisonment, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and resisting an executive officer, with a felony enhancement for committing secondary offenses while released from custody, pertaining to an incident that occurred on March 27.

Manubag was also charged in relation to an incident that reportedly took place on April 14, 2021, involving the alleged manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance and the illegal planting of more than six cannabis plants. Court records indicate the manufacturing charge was ultimately dismissed.

That June 18, the Newport Beach resident pleaded guilty to all charges in the March 14 incident and to all charges stemming from the March 27 incident, except false imprisonment, which prosecutors dismissed. He also admitted guilt in the drug possession incident.

He was sentenced to multiple terms, which were to run concurrently with a two-year prison sentence earned for the March 14, 2021 incident. It is unclear whether he served the entire term or may have been released early.

His accomplice, 41-year-old Brandon Richburg, of Chino Hills, who described his occupation as “business owner,” was booked for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon, being in possession of a controlled substance for sale and a large capacity magazine, providing a false identification to police and identity theft.

Rangel said Wednesday the woman reportedly being held against her will on Tuesday was located by police but said she was unable to release any further information as the investigation was still pending.

Both men were being held on $500,000 bail Wednesday with court dates pending.