Friday, June 27, 2008
Mingla cops nab shop worker over killing of British national
LAWMEN arrested a junkshop worker whom homicide probers suspected to have a hand in the killing Tuesday of a British national in Lipata, Minglanilla, Cebu.
However, SPO4 Remegio Elacion, Minglanilla police deputy chief, said they will release Rodel Escototo if evidence against him is weak.
Elacion said that Escototo, of Linao, Talisay City, was subjected to a paraffin test at the PNP Crime Laboratory in Cebu City. The results were not available at press time yesterday.
He said the suspect strongly denied that he was responsible for the murder of 42-year-old British national Luke Issacs.
Talisay City policemen, led by SPO1 Ricardo Balbutin, arrested Escototo after they got a call about the presence of suspicious looking persons in Camella Homes, Lawaan 1.
Motorcycle
The arrest came after three men on a Yamaha motorcycle figured in a collision with a southbound Honda motorcycle along the national highway in Talisay City around 9 p.m.
Police believed that Escototo was one of the three men who, instead of waiting for the arrival of traffic investigators, fled, leaving behind the injured Honda motorcycle driver.
It was reported that three men, also on a motorcycle, were seen speeding off after one of them fatally shot Issacs along the highway in Lipata, Minglanilla past 6 p.m. that day.
Issacs and his Filipina wife, Risa were walking by the roadside to buy grilled chicken when a gunman grabbed the foreigner’s bag containing P7,000.
However, Issacs resisted, prompting the suspect to shoot him five times in the head and body. He died at the Minglanilla District Hospital.
Investigation
Insp. Jaime Santillan, Talisay City police theft and robbery section chief, said that the foreigner’s wife could not ascertain if Escototo was among three robbers.
She went to the Talisay City Police Station after she got word of Escototo’s arrest.
Finding no evidence, the Talisay PNP turned over Escototo to the Minglanilla police station for further investigation at 7 a.m. last Tuesday. (GC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 27, 2008 issue)
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