Mall owner’s aide survives ambush

A trusted aide of a Malabon businessman’s family survived an ambush near the Caloocan-Malabon highway boundary yesterday.

Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton, Station Investigation and Detection Management Bureau (SIDMB) chief, identified the ambush target as Enrique Villagracia, 52, a property caretaker of the owners of Malabon Citisquare, a mall located on Letre Road corner Dagat-Dagatan Avenue Extension, Malabon City.

Isidro Pinlac, Villagracia’s father-in-law, who was seated beside him at the front seat of their vehicle, a yellow Crosswind with license plate YKW-378, was also unhurt.

Records showed the victims were traveling from Malabon toward Caloocan City at around 9:30 a.m. when the shooting incident occured. As they neared the Hannibal gas station, the suspects, who were on board a red Honda XRM, fired at them

The gunman, however, missed his target even as the car’s window and door on the driver’s side had seven bullet holes.

Probers found six empty shells from a caliber . 45 pistol at the crime scene.

Cuaton said the motive for the botched slay attempt was connected to a dispute involving a private property in Malabon, which is under Villagracia’s care.

Villagracia was reportedly directly in charge of the eviction of illegal settlers in the property, on orders of the court, which affected some 150 families .