Rob suspect dies in Caloocan police custody

The prime suspect in a bakery robbery last May 4 died on Saturday while in Caloocan City police custody.

The fatality, Edwin Balza, 31, a native of Samar, and a resident of Salmon st., Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City, was tagged by the police as one of the four suspects who robbed the A&B Bakery also in Dagat-Dagatan, on the morning of May 4 and fled with some P130,000 in cash and assorted jewelry.

The Navotas police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, who responded to the robber incident, mistook a Toyota Tamaraw FX van, with license plate TNW-177 and 11 passengers, as the robbers’ getaway vehicle and opened fire. Fortunately, none of the passengers were hurt.

On Friday night, Caloocan cops led by PO3 Michelle Alcantara chanced upon Balza and his four companions in a shabu session. The policemen brought the suspects to the police station for investigation.

At around noon the next day, SPO1 Arnold Gonzales of the Station Investigation Division (SID) was reportedly escorting Balza back to his detention cell after the interrogation when the suspect allegedly tried to escape by grabbing Gonzales’ firearm.

But the allert cop overpowered Balza and punched him until he fell on the floor. A few minutes after Balza was locked up in his cell, he complained of chest pains. The cops brought Balza to the President Diosdado Macapagal Hospital for treatment but he died at around 1:30 p.m.

Northern Police District (NPD) director Senior Superintendent Raul Gonzales said yesterday that the case is still being investigated.

Gonzales also ordered Senior Superintendent Leo Garra, the city police chief, to dig deeper into the case. — Pete Laude