4 suspected car thieves slain in Lucena shootout

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Four suspected car thieves were killed in a running gun battle with policemen along the main highway here early yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Valeriano de Leon of the Lucena police said the suspects, who were onboard a red Toyota Innova without a license plate, rammed the barrier of the police checkpoint along the highway in Barangay Dulang-Dulang, triggering the chase.

De Leon said the suspects opened fire at the chasing policemen while other police units that had been alerted tried to intercept them.

The firefight ended when all the four suspects, one of them armed with a submachine gun, were killed during the shootout in Barangay Ibabang Dupay.

Three of the slain suspects were identified as John Modesto Decena Salomes; Jerwin Ong, 32; and Jeffrey Rumbaoa Luna, 30.

De Leon said they earlier received an alert that a red Toyota Innova (ZCE-861) was stolen from one Lorna Camarillo of San Pedro, Laguna.

He said the same vehicle was also involved in a robbery in Candelaria town.

De Leon said the van was last spotted going toward Pagbilao town, prompting the police to set up a road checkpoint to intercept the stolen vehicle.

Responding lawmen seized from the slain suspects a .45-caliber pistol, two .38-caliber revolvers, and one Ingram submachine gun. – With Ed Amoroso