By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
POLICE operatives killed one of the three alleged carnappers who robbed a taxi driver and took away his cab in Quezon City late Tuesday night.
Superintendent Rossel Cejas, chief of the Quezon City Police Police District-Novaliches Police Station, said the fatality has yet to be identified but described him to be in his 40s, wearing white shirt and white shorts, with “Bat” tattoo on his left shoulder and tribal tattoo markings on his left wrist.
Report showed that one Edgardo Montinola Jr., a 60-year-old cabbie, was driving near a mall in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, past 11 p.m. when he was flagged down by two of the suspects who posed as passengers.
The two men instructed the taxi driver to fetch their friend first who was waiting along Forest Hills Drive in Barangay Gulod, only a kilometer away from their pick-up point.
Upon fetching the third suspect, the group asked the victim to drop them off in another mall in Fairview.
While traversing Forest Hills Drive, one of the men declared the heist and, at gunpoint, took the belongings of the victim including his earnings.
Not contented with the loot, the group also forcibly pushed the victim outside of his cab and fled the scene.
Montinola immediately reported the incident to nearby Novaliches Police Station (PS-4). Police conducted a follow-up operation against the suspects.
During the operation, PS-4 personnel spotted along Damong Maliit in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon a taxicab that matched the description of Montinola with body markings VLD888 and bearing plate number UVE-665.
However, when they tailed the vehicle, the suspects sped off and fired at the chasing officers.
Pursuing policemen retaliated and killed one of the suspects who was sitting at the back of the car.
Meanwhile, his two other companions were able to get off the cab and escape.
A loaded .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver and a sachet of shabu were recovered from the suspect.
Police also recovered stolen Montinola’s cab, his black wallet containing his identification cards, and his earnings amounting to P2,600 cash.
Probers said the suspect died from multiple gunshot wounds in the body.
He was brought to PNP Crime Laboratory for autopsy while further investigation is underway.
A manhunt has been launched against the two other suspects.
