6 holdup men nabbed in Recto, Sta. Cruz

The Manila police nabbed yesterday six suspected holdup men belonging to two separate gangs and allegedly preying on jeepney passengers traveling the C.M. Recto and Legarda routes in Sta. Cruz and Sampaloc districts.

First to fall was the notorious four-man "Fuente Gang" led by Dennis Fuente, 35, of 1452 Lope de Vega st., Sta. Cruz. His cohorts were identified as Cordero Cortez, 29, of 14 Praternal st., Quiapo; Jefferson Maminta, 27, of 2239 Batangas corner Narra sts., Tondo; and Ernesto Javier, 30, of 2069 Pista st., Sta. Cruz.

Recovered from them were a snub-nose caliber. 38 revolver with five bullets, three fan knives, cash and a cellular phone.

The arrest of the gang members was a result of the directive of Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong for the immediate neutralization of robbery gangs.

WPD-Theft and Robbery Section head Chief Inspector Benjamin Reyes immediately fielded plainclothes policemen in identified crime-prone areas resulting to the arrest of the gang members while in the act of robbing jeepney passengers.

Meanwhile, Sta. Cruz police chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula announced the arrest of Raymond de la Cruz, 29, a Batang City Jail Gang member, of 49 Lanka Road, Caloocan City; and Albert Bolivar, 29, a Bahala na Gang member, of 19 Nicanor st., Welcome Rotunda, Quezon City.

Sapitula said the two were part of the four-man group victimizing commuters in the Sta. Cruz district.

De la Cruz was positively identified by Vergel de Guzman, who is presently recuperating from a gunshot wound at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, as one of four men who shot him inside a passenger jeepney on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Bolivar was identified by a woman victim whom he robbed at knifepoint at the Omar Lodge in Sta. Cruz.