Suspect in shooting yields

The suspect in the killing of a 17-year-old boy in Bayanihan, Village in barangay Basak Pardo last Monday surrendered to authorities evening Tuesday.

Billbixby Regner turned himself over to Basak Barangay Captain George Rama around 10 p.m. last Tuesday and is temporarily detained at the Cebu City Jail.

City police director Patrocinio Comendador said they will continue to investigate whether there was robbery involved in the incident, otherwise, only a complaint for murder will be filed against Regner.

“If wala’y cell phone nga nakuha, then it’s plain murder,” Commendador said.

And while authorities said Regner was forced to surrender because of the pressure by the hot pursuit operation conducted last Monday afternoon, Regner said he voluntarily turned himself over in order to clear his name. He also said he did not even know the victim, Clint Florida.

Last Monday, Florida was on his way to fetch his cousins from school when he was allegedly robbed and shot.

Comendador said several witnesses have positively identified Regner and one of them even assisted an artist in sketching the face of the suspect. The sketch was then shown to other witnesses who positively identified the same.

Also based on the cartographic sketch, policemen from Station 7, Theft and Robbery Section, Homicide Section, and Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau conducted a hot pursuit operation against Regner. — Joy Kareen T. Saliente/JMO