POLICE Station 9 is facing difficulty in identifying the perpetrators behind the killing of a tricycle driver inside his house in Purok Linya, Barangay Cabug, Bacolod City Monday evening, February 22, 2021.
Police Lieutenant Lanie Deriada, chief of Police Station 9, said Wednesday they have no lead yet on the identities of the assailants, whom they claimed to be not less than three armed men.
On Monday evening, Eduardo Cataraja, 55, was inside his house around 10 p.m. when three unidentified assailants barged into his house and fired at him several times.
The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot.
Police recovered from the scene of the crime eight fired cartridges of .45 caliber, one fired cartridge of caliber 5.56, a cellular phone and assorted documents.
Deriada said Cataraja's family was not around when the assailants killed him. His wife was staying at the house of their child in Sta. Fe.
She said before the incident, Cataraja's neighbors saw three unidentified men onboard a vehicle traveling towards the house of the victim.
She added they do not have any witnesses and the footage of the security camera near the area was not clear enough to identify the suspects.
Deriada said they were also awaiting the statement from the family of the victim, whom she claimed that until now failed to cooperate with them.
“We are waiting for their statement so we can determine the motive in the killing of the victim. So far, as of now, they are not cooperating with us,” Deriada said.
She said the victim had no bad record at the Bacolod City Police Office, adding that they were also validating a report if the victim is connected with the Epogon robbery group.