Teen carjack suspect, ma slain in ambush

MANILA, Philippines - A carjacking suspect and his mother were ambushed in Quezon City yesterday morning after coming from a court hearing.

Mark Joseph Reyes, believed to be still in his teens, was killed along with his mother, Jasmin, in an attack along Elliptical Road at past 11 a.m. yesterday.

Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano said the two victims were in a taxi when two men shot them. They died on the scene.

Reyes and his mother  had just come from a hearing for cases of car theft and illegal possession of firearms at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 94 when they boarded a cab driven by Jun Gobis, Albano said.

Gobis said he picked up the two victims and an unidentified female companion at the back of the Quezon City justice hall. The passengers asked to be brought to Caloocan.

However, when the taxi got out of the Kalayaan Avenue gate of the city hall complex, the woman said she was getting out and only told the victims that she would see them at Monumento.

Gobis told police he noticed that the woman was talking with someone on her phone before she got off.

Meanwhile, cabbie Rommel Dinulos caught up with Gobis upon reaching Elliptical Road and was asking the latter to let him borrow tools to fix his vehicle. After agreeing, Gobis told Dinulos that they should park their taxis at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

While the two drivers were talking, they suddenly heard shots. When they looked back, the drivers saw two gunmen shooting Gobis’ passengers through the right rear window.

Out of fear, Dinulos ran back and hid in his taxi while Gobis quickly got out of his cab and ran away.

A witness saw one of the gunmen raise his gun to threaten a dump truck driver honking at the gunmen for blocking traffic. The attackers were seen driving toward the direction of North Avenue.

Family business

Reyes and his father, Mark Lester, had been tagged in a number of car theft cases in recent years.

Reyes and his mother were arrested in August 2011 after the theft of the Toyota Fortuner of Social Security System vice president Alfredo Villasanta.

Reyes was left behind while his father and two others drove away with the SUV. Jasmin was arrested when she came to her son’s rescue.

Reyes was allegedly one of the two men who posed as anti-drug agents to stage a carjacking of a sport utility vehicle in July last year.

Police said Reyes’ group has been working together with that of his cousin, Joemel Salvatierra.