Manila cops recapture triple murder suspect

A triple murder suspect who escaped from a police guard during hospital confinement two weeks ago was recaptured by police in Manila yesterday.

A team from the Manila Police District’s homicide section, led by Chief Inspector Alejandro Yanquiling Jr., arrested Dexter Herrera, 34, while he was getting clearance papers at the Ombudsman building along Arroceros street.

Herrera is the primary suspect in the killing of brothers Edwin and Esperjun Mamucod and his cousin Jose Nap Villafuerte during a recent fiesta celebration in Almeda street in Tondo.

Herrera was ganged upon by irate residents after shooting dead the three men. He was later confined at the Quezon City General Hospital for stab wounds.

The suspect escaped last May 14 when his assigned police guard, PO2 Domingo Ortilla of the Jose Abad Santos police station, abandoned his post after completing his 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift without waiting for his reliever.

The suspect escaped with the aid of his live-in partner, who removed the tubes attached to his body and helped him change into civilian clothes inside the comfort room of the hospital.

Yanquiling and his men conducted raids in several Bulacan towns where Herrera was sighted, but the suspect proved to be elusive.

"I feared that the suspect might leave the country so I ordered my men to monitor a number of government agencies where he might get clearance for his departure," Yanquiling told The STAR.

The effort paid off when Yanquiling received information that Herrera was spotted at the Manila branch office of the Ombudsman yesterday.

A crack team of homicide operatives, composed of Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, Inspector Ismael dela Cruz, SPO3 Alfonso Nuevas, SPO3 Wilfredo Chua, SPO2 Eduardo Martinez, PO2 Rommel del Rosario and PO2 Jay Santos conducted a stake out at the Ombudsman building, leading to the arrest of the suspect.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong commended Yanquiling and his men for the recapture of the escapee.