Strawberry’s beau appears at NBI office

The boyfriend of former child star Anouk "Strawberry" Baldo submitted himself to the National Bureau of Investigation following her fatal shooting in Las Piñas City last Tuesday.

According to NBI agents, John Mark Doromal appeared at the bureau last Thursday evening and offered information about the shooting.

"He submitted himself for investigation. Maybe he wants to give information. But he left after learning that Strawberry had died," said NBI Special Action Unit (SAU) chief Vicente de Guzman III.

De Guzman said Doromal went to the NBI upon learning that Quezon City Rep. Maite Defensor, Strawberry’s employer, had sought the NBI’s help in investigating the incident.

However, the NBI said Doromal left after 20 minutes when he learned that his girlfriend had died in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the NBI’s Special Action Unit, which is handling the case, is now coordinating with the Las Piñas City police and consolidating information on the case.

Doromal, reportedly the son of a police major who owns a security agency, figured in a traffic altercation with brothers Ryan and Ronald Glenn Picar that reportedly later resulted in the shooting of Strawberry.

Strawberry was declared dead at 4:46 p.m. last Thursday at the Parañaque Medical Center after her family decided to take her off the life support system.

Strawberry sustained three gunshot wounds, one of which damaged her brain. Charges of murder are set to be filed by the Las Piñas City police against Doromal.

Doromal will be charged based on the version of events of the Picar family along with his four other companions who were security guards.

The four guards reportedly working with Doromal’s security agency were identified as Martin Arabani, Gelicisimo Mardarlipe, Rex Tanduyan and Alexander Mernis. Two of the four were reportedly with Doromal and Strawberry in another car during the incident while the two others came as reinforcements.

Doromal’s group and the Picars reportedly figured in a traffic accident last Sunday until they crossed-path again last Tuesday morning when Doromal’s group waited for and tailed the Picars to their home in International Village, Las Piñas. – Mike Frialde and Jose Aravilla