Robbers hurt, arrested after heist

CEBU, Philippines – Three alleged members of the Casimero 'Meloy' Garcia robbery group were arrested late Monday night after a heist that they pulled off in barangay Sambag 1.

The suspects, two of whom were injured in a shootout, claimed that Garcia, who is now incarcerated at the Tagbilaran City Jail in Bohol, continues to give orders to the group members via text messaging.

The robbers struck a lending firm that holds office at a boarding house inside the Chua Compound along Uytengsu St. at around 7 p.m.

Two of the robbers entered the house and carted away P113,100 in cash, four ladies wristwatches and a ring at gunpoint from employees of the lending firm named Pulis Kapit-Bisig.

When the robbers rushed out of the house, the victims shouted for help, which alerted PO3 Osorio Ramiso, Jr., who is detailed at the Police Regional Office-7.

Ramiso gave a chase then fired at the fleeing suspects, who also fired back at him.

The motorcycle was only able to travel for several meters before it crashed forcing the two people on board to flee to various directions and hailing separate taxi cabs.

The police later arrested Alberto Aniedez Torregosa, 29, of Danao, Bohol at the Cebu City Medical Center, who had a gunshot wound on the left side of his chest.

Minutes later, the police arrested Shyrell Lambo Ostia, a native of Baclayon, Bohol, at the Miller General Hospital along Tres de Abril St. He also had a gunshot wound on the left side of his chest.

Later that night, John Remoreras Nuez, 22, who served as lookout, was arrested in the same compound where the heist took place.

The victims were identified as Maridel Oblema and Josephine Sanchez, who are both from San Juan, Metro Manila.

They claimed that two men armed with pistols barged into the boarding house and declared a hold up.

Sr. Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, chief of the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office, narrated that Ostia and Torregosa were the ones who allegedly went inside the compound.

After the heist, they rushed to the getaway motorcycle that was parked nearby.

PO3 Ramiso, who rents a room in the compound, heard the shouts for help. He is detailed at the Police Community Relations office.

Clyde Guerrero, a resident of the area, was reportedly hit below his left thigh during the shoot out. The police said that the suspected robbers might have hit Guerrero, who was rushed Chong Hua Hospital by his neighbors.

Operatives of the Fuente Police Station headed by Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes rushed to the crime scene and recovered the bag containing the loot, which the suspects dropped when they fled.

When they checked the motorcycle, they also found the plate numbers to have been tampered.

The police were tipped by security guards of CCMC and Miller General Hospital about the two patients, who both had gunshot wounds.

Ostia was later transferred to the CCMC after his arrest.

The victims, who went to CCMC, positively identified as the two suspects.

The police were also able to recover from inside one of Torregosa's pockets the four watches, a cellular phone and a ring, which the victims identified as theirs.

The police also found a caliber .38 pistol and a caliber .357 pistol on the hedges along Osmeña Blvd. where the suspects passed for their get away.

The third suspect was arrested after the police found the driver's license of Ricliz Navarro inside the U box of the getaway motorcycle.

The police went to Navarro, a resident of barangay Tisa, who said that his motorcycle was rented by a man, who he identified as a certain Jorge for P400.

Navarro said that Jorge, who was later identified as Nuez, was with two men, who identified themselves as policemen.

He added that Nuez later went to him to inform him that the motorcycle was impounded after they were apprehended by traffic personnel.

Navarro said that he suspected there was something wrong and reported the matter to the barangay hall of Tisa.

When he went to CCMC with the policemen, he also tagged Torregosa and Ostia as the companions of Nuez.

Navarro later accompanied the police to Nuez at his boarding house where the latter was arrested.

Recovered from Nuez's possession was a cellular phone, which contained messages he sent to Torregosa.

During tactical interrogation, the police learned that the suspects are members of Meloy Garcia Robbery Group from Bohol.

Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, director of CCPO, said they will also check if the suspects are involved in previous robberies here.

Buenafe also said that Torregosa is allegedly a notorious robber in Bohol. -/NLQ (FREEMAN)