Thief killed in NPO shootout

A robbery suspect was killed after his group shot it out with security guards during a heist at the National Printing Office (NPO) along EDSA in Quezon City after midnight yesterday.

Police identified the fatality as a certain Roberto Romero, who along with six others attempted to steal rolls of paper used to produce official ballots from the NPO compound. He died while undergoing treatment at the East Avenue Medical Center due to a gunshot wound in the head.

According to Sgt. Primo Borito, of the Central Police District-District Police Intelligence Unit (CPD-DPIU), four men barged into the NPO at around midnight and stole three rolls of paper valued at P40,000 each.

Their three other cohorts acted as lookouts.

As they were about to steal a fourth roll of paper, security guards of the NPO noticed them and ran toward the group.

Six suspects scampered and managed to escape. Romero, however, engaged the guards in a firefight. Romero was hit by a bullet in the head.

The guards later caught three of the suspects, identified as Lodovic Enriquez, 26, Marvin Francisco, 23, and Richard Sosa, 37.

They have been turned over to the police.

Police said the stolen items were recovered. – Katherine Adraneda