Wednesday, September 01, 2004 Witnesses identify teeners in robbery
A SECURITY guard and a woman positively identified the two teenagers arrested the other day as the ones behind the robbery and shooting of a newly ordained priest last July 3.
The witnesses went to the office of Cebu City Theft and Robbery Section chief Insp. Ambrosio Ibones to identify Erich Orosco, 18, and Nico Baricar, 19, as the two men on motorcycle who robbed and shot Fr. Mhar Balili.
The positive identification of the two witnesses corroborated the admission of Orosco and Baricar of robbing Balili, who was walking on his way to the Archbishop’s Palace on D. Jakosalem St.
Ibones met with Balili late Monday afternoon to inform the police official that he still has to decide whether to file a case against the two robbery suspects.
Balili then left for Surigao City for a gospel mission. He told Ibones he will have a decision when he returns.
Ibones said that pending Balili’s decision, a complaint filed against Orosco and Baricar will still be for allegedly robbing two women last Saturday afternoon on N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City.
Orosco and Baricar were arrested after trying to flee aboard a cab shortly after robbing two women.
While in detention, the two told reporters they did not know that Balili was a priest and that they merely took a fancy on the priest’s cell phone.
Orosco and Baricar also claimed they did not intend to kill Balili. The shooting was only meant to scare the priest. (JST)
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