STA. ANA -- A man believed to be a victim of mistaken identity died in a shootout Tuesday morning following a robbery and carnapping incident in Barangay Marangco in Angat, Bulacan.
The victim, identified as Carlos de Leon, was a long-time driver of Angat, Bulacan Councilor Henry Illecas, whose house was robbed by one Hector Sinsioco.
The suspect of the robbery and carnapping, a neighbor of the Illecas, has escaped arrest on Tuesday.
Sinsioco, according to reports, robbed the Illecas family around 6 a.m. Tuesday, carting away P80,000 in jewelry and other belongings.
De Leon was believed to be hostaged by the suspect and was forced to drive the family vehicle toward Pampanga.
“Walang kinalaman si Carlos. Matagal na po namin siyang driver at kilalang-kilala namin siya. Hindi niya magagawa ang mag carnap (Carlos is innocent. We know him much because he has worked with us for so long. He wouldn’t get involved with carjacking),” Illecas said.
The councilor immediately reported the incident to the police, who conducted simultaneous checkpoints in various areas to apprehend the suspect and recover the car and money.
Chief Inspector Edgardo Corral said they received information from the Pampanga Tactical Information Division about the carnapping incident in Bulacan.
Corral said the local police in Candaba reported the sighting of a blue Honda Civic sedan going to the direction of Sta. Ana town.
He said that when the carnapped car reached the checkpoint area, someone from the passenger seat fired shots at them; then a shootout ensued.
Someone leapt from the driver seat and it was the victim while Sinsioco escaped using a white multicab, Corral added.
Melacio Talisik, the multicab driver and a resident of Barangay Matamo Arayat, told police he was threatened by the suspect.
“Tinutukan niya ako ng baril at sinasabihang makisama ka. Tapos pagdating sa palayan dyan sa Quenabuan, tumakbo na siya papalayo (He pointed a gun and told me to cooperate. When we reached Quenabuhan, Sinsioco ran and fled),” Talisik said.
Chief Inspector Arwind Tadeo, Angat town chief of police, said a joint investigation is still ongoing to determine if the suspect is connected to previous reports of carjacking incidents in Bulacan and neighboring areas. (Herbert P. Mapiles of Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)
