Suspected robbers of GMA-7 news editor arrested

Agents of the Northern Police District (NPD) intelligence unit arrested two of the three suspects in the robbery of a GMA-7 news editor during a follow-up operation before midnight on Saturday in Caloocan City.

Chief Inspector Sotero Ramos Jr., NPD-District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) chief, identified the suspects as Billy Joe Belita, 30, a native of Tacloban City, and Gilbert Arnais, 24, of Agdao, Davao City, both of 2115 Estimada Interior, Salmon street, Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

Ramos said the suspects, released from prison just recently for a string a criminal offenses, were positively identified by victim Sherril Arevalo, supervising news editor of GMA-7, as the armed men who held her up while she was on her way to work on Friday.

Arevalo, 29, of Block 39, Lot 1, Phase 3F-1, Sabalo street, Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City, was reportedly aboard a pedicab along Sabalo corner Salay-Salay streets at around 3:30 a.m. when three men wielding bladed weapons blocked her path.

The suspects divested Arevalo of her cellular phone amounting to P20,000, her bracelet worth P5,000, ATM cards and other valuables.

Arevalo coordinated with the NPD-DPIU where Ramos formed a three-man team composed of SPO3 Romel Aggari, SPO1 Ed Ano, and PO2 Lauro dela Cruz, to hunt down the suspects.

At around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, through a tip off from barangay officials of Barangay 12 in Caloocan City, Ramos’ men were able to arrest the two suspects at their lair at Shellhouse compound in Dagat-Dagatan. – Pete Laude