Caloocan City pool hustler survives abduction

An alleged billiards hustler accused of deliberately losing a game, miraculously survived a beating by 10 men who allegedly abducted and tried to finish him off the other night in Caloocan City.

His face and body marked by cuts and bruises from the mauling, Marlon Jimenez, 20, single, of 123 A. Del Mundo Street, 10th Avenue, was rescued by responding policemen.

One of the suspects, Carlos Abarca, 39, married, of 6th Avenue, Caloocan City was positively identified by the victim as one of his attackers.

PO2 Michael Viray of the Station Investigation and Intelligence Division (SIID), said the victim was taken by unidentified armed men from his house at around 6 p.m. The victim told probers he was confronted by the men who suspected him of throwing away a winning game on which the former had bet heavily. He said he was forced to ride between two of the suspects, who were armed with knives and iron pipes, on a motorcycle. The group took him to a vacant lot along 6th Avenue and there took turns in mauling him. A resident who was passing by saw the victim being beaten up and quickly sought police assistance.

The suspects scampered in different directions when the police arrived but Abarca was cornered and held pending the filing of charges.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old successfully carried out a plan to avenge himself when he ambushed and stabbed dead a student early yesterday morning in Malabon City. – Jerry Botial