Police say slain thief behind drive-by attacks

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from being a notorious thief, police say Michael Reyes, who was shot dead in an ambush last Monday along Echavez St., Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, Cebu City, was also behind the two recent drive-by shooting incidents in the city.

Senior Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, chief of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section, said they have recovered evidence that tagged Reyes as the perpetrator of the Feb. 4 drive-by shootings in barangays Guadalupe and Labangon.

“The witnesses described their attacker to have white complexion with tattoos on his shoulders which fits Reyes,” he said in Cebuano.

Police also recovered a brown cap from Reyes, victims of the drive-by shootings said their assailant wore a brown cap during the attack, Jamiri said.

However, Jamiri said they have yet to recover the gray car used in the drive-by shootings. 

Cebu City Intelligence chief Romeo Santander said they were already eyeing Reyes as the assailant of the drive-by attacks even before he was killed.

This was because Reyes was also behind the drive-by airsoft attacks on homosexuals in Barangay Punta Princesa and Maxilom Ave., near Mango Square Mall last October.  

“He settled the incident with the homosexual victims. Reyes did it because he just liked to,” Santander said.

Aside from the cap, the police also recovered drug paraphernalia from the room Reyes rented in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, a short distance from where he was killed.

Jamiri said the said drug paraphernalia strengthens the angle that illegal drugs was the motive behind his murder.

Reyes reportedly embezzled P120,000 worth of shabu in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel before he was shot inside a taxi along Echavez St. the other day.

Jamiri said Reyes had been having money problems since his affluent family stopped supporting him after he was apprehended by the police last Jan. 3 for numerous theft, drugs and illegal possession of firearms.

Reyes posted a total bail of P320,000 for three separate cases filed against him early this year; P80,000 for illegal possession of firearms, P200,000 for illegal possession of drugs and P40,000 for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia. –(FREEMAN)