LTO employee’s death under investigation

Authorities are looking deeper into the death of a 38-year-old employee of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) who was found lifeless in his car yesterday at dawn in the Araneta Center in Quezon City.

Police reports showed that Juan Magano, of 2924 Pag-asa Bliss, Quezon City, was discovered dead by patrolling security guard Ariel Oladin inside his Mitsubishi Galant (ADM-448) at around 2:25 a.m. yesterday.

With the help of other security guards, he rushed Magano to the hospital, but Magano was declared dead on arrival by Quirino Labor Hospital doctors. Magano’s body was brought to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory for autopsy.

Meanwhile, a suspected robber fell into the hands of authorities at a checkpoint of the Central Police district in Quezon City over the weekend.

Police identified the suspect as Reynaldo Maico, of 2610 Sitio San Roque, Tandang Sora. His companion, a certain Bong, however, escaped during a short chase by the police.

Senior Police Officer 3 Felix Pajarillo said Maico was accosted at the corner of Tandang Sora and Mindanao Avenue, Bgy. Bahay Toro around 3:30 p.m. Friday because he and his companion were riding a motorcycle without wearing helmets, which is in violation of traffic rules. But instead of yielding to authorities, the two suspects sped off.

Police confiscated from Maico a .45 caliber pistol and still undetermined amount of shabu after a short chase.

According to Pajarillo, Police Officer 1 Edmund Taculdar and his group set up the checkpoint after a string of robberies, victimizing people who had just withdrawn money from banks.

But the suspect denied involvement in the robberies. – Katherine Adraneda