Five suspected carnappers killed in shootout against police in QC

By Ronron
April 16, 2007

Five suspected car thieves were killed in a shootout with traffic policemen before dawn of Monday in Quezon City, police said.

The suspects were first sighted aboard a maroon Toyota Revo at the Elliptical Circle by members of the Traffic Management Group (TMG) Mobile 11 at around 3 am yesterday.

TMG Director Chief Supt. Errol Pan said in a statement that the vehicle, which was sporting plate number VBX-401, was “roaming suspiciously” in the area, prompting the Mobile 11 crew to have the plate number verified with the TMG’s Vehicle Information Management System.

The check revealed that the plate number belongs to an Isuzu Crosswind, which was carjacked from a certain Frederick Duller in Taguig City last June 27, 2005.

This sparked the operation against the Revo, tailing it until Fairview District.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the Holy Rosary Chapel near SM Fairview, Pan said the suspects noticed the tailing TMG personnel and immediately opened fire at them.

“An exchange of gunshots ensued until the five suspects, all wearing police jackets and sweatshirts, were found lifeless,” Pan said.

Pan said recovered from the suspects were three caliber 45 pistols, one 9mm pistol, and one shotgun.

No one was hurt among the TMG personnel.

Pan said a check on the Revo revealed later that it was also seized while parked unattended last year in Midtown Village, Cainta, Rizal. Its owner was identified as a certain Elena Rodriguez.

“The strong campaign of the TMG against carnapping resulted to the arrests of 57 carnap suspects and the eventual filing of criminal charges in court, neutralization of several carnap syndicyates and the recovery of 112 vehicles during the first quarter of the year,” Pan said./DMS