CEBU, Philippines - A robbery suspect died in a shoot-out with the police while another suspect was nabbed after getting mauled by bystanders during a chase last Thursday along A.S. Fortuna Street in barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.
Mark dela Cruz, 31, married, and a resident of sitio Bayabas, barangay Ylaya in Danao City was arrested by police after a chase.
The two men had just robbed an employee of the Cebu Home Builders last Thursday evening.
Dela Cruz’s companion, a certain Joseph, who hailed from Borbon town was killed in a shoot-out with the Mobile Patrol Group.
Dela Cruz, his face bruised, was presented to reporters yesterday.
Investigative and Detective Management Bureau chief P C/Insp. Rex Lomente, in a press conference yesterday, said the victim Aprille Decierdo, 23, single, and the cashier of Cebu Home Builders was on her way home with two other co-workers when a motorcycle with two men on it sidled to them.
Dela Cruz, who was the passenger, got off and declared a holdup at knifepoint. He then grabbed her bag and stabbed her on the back when she resisted.
Before fleeing, Joseph the accomplice who drove the motorcycle fired a gun at the workers but missed.
Responding policemen gave chase and caught up with the robbers in barangay Maguikay where an exchange of gunfire took place.
The police shot Joseph in the head.
He was taken to the Mandaue City Hospital and transferred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Center where he was declared dead.
Dela Cruz is now recuperating in one of the hospitals in Cebu City.
Lomente said the two men don’t belong to any gang but are known to pull robberies and steal motorcycles. The motorcycle they used to rob Decierda was also stolen from a certain Rizel Diaz of D. Jakosalem Street in Cebu City.
Dela Cruz admitted having stolen motorcycles in the city with Joseph as his accomplice.
He said they sold stolen motorcycles for at least P6,000 each.
Late yesterday afternoon, Homicide chief P/Insp. Ramil Morpos said Joseph’s real name is Junie Caraat, 20, from Danao City.
He was identified by his live-in partner who said he left Danao last Wednesday and had not come back since.
Morpos also said Caraat was a notorious robber in Danao.
Morpos said the police have recovered two stolen motorcycles belonging to a certain Shiela May Antolihao, which was grabbed from her last December 29 in barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City.
Marvin Damaolao, an accounting officer, positively identified Dela Cruz as the one who grabbed his motorcycle last December 23 in barangay Canduman.
Cases of robbery with physical injury and carnapping cases are now being prepared against Dela Cruz who is currently detained at the Centro police station. (FREEMAN)