CABANATUAN CITY – Police have identified the prime suspect in last Friday’s break-in at the Petron gasoline station in Barangay Aduas Sur here which led to the killing of a young security guard.
Police Superintendent Eliseo Cruz, Cabanatuan police chief, identified the suspect as JR Santos, a former employee of the gas station. A manhunt has been launched for the capture of Santos.
Cruz said Santos has been tagged for the murder of security guard Christopher Aquino, 19, of Barangay Ganduz, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. Aquino was employed with the security agency Regent Protective Service, Inc.
Aquino’s blood-spattered body was found lying inside the comfort room adjacent to the gasoline station’s office at 5 a.m. Friday. He bore a one-inch incision on his left eyebrow.
Cruz said Santos was terminated as an employee in February after his employer found out that he had been swindling his boss of earnings from the gas station.
He said that Santos was able to tamper the gas meter by inserting a chord in the gas pump which showed erroneous reading. Because the gas pump has been tampered with, the actual gas sold to consumers would not reflect in the company’s computer.
With this, Cruz said, Santos was able to pocket the money paid for by vehicle owners who would gas up at the station.
The anomaly was later discovered by the management which fired Santos.
Cruz said it was possible Santos broke into the gas station’s office and burned the evidence necessary in the filing of a case against him by management.
He said his men are still gathering additional physical, testimonial and circumstantial evidence, including fingerprints that would help pin down Santos and his cohorts.
