He thought victim had a gun: Suspect in slay of German falls

CEBU, Philippines - The security guard who shot dead German national Hans Jurgen Hesse after allegedly mistaking him for a robber was arrested by authorities midnight yesterday in the mountain barangay of Nangka, Boljoon town.

After around 10 hours of chasing Jerome Niere, 38, of Barangay El Pardo, Boljoon, personnel of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch, Alcoy Police Station and Boljoon Police Station, finally cornered Niere at a secluded place in the area.

The team leader, Senior Inspector Wilson Abot, said they have been tracking Niere since after the incident through his family and relatives in Boljoon until they caught up with him in Nangka, which borders Boljoon and Alcoy.

Abot said that family of Niere refused to cooperate at first and even helped Niere escape from the police.

“Nisuway pa man unta ‘ning pamilya og pasibat, amo mang giingnan nga kung dili nila i-surrender o di mi nila tabangan ug pangita sa suspek sila maoy among dakpon unya file-an namo ug obstruction of justice,” Abot said in a press conference.

This prompted the family to start locating Niere until he was found hiding in a secluded place.

Niere left his issued 9mm pistol at the scene after he gunned down Hesse inside the Sola Homes Subdivision in Barangay Guiwang, Alcoy, early morning Thursday.

He was assigned at the main gate of the subdivision when fellow guard Jerry Carulasan asked for his assistance to check a spark behind the retirement village office.

Hesse, 60, was wearing a dark jacket with a hood when he ran into the guards when the two parties were rounding a corner. Niere shot him in the forehead and chest.

Hesse was declared dead on arrival at the Dr. Ildefonso Alcantara Memorial Hospital in Dalaguete town.

Carulasan surrendered and turned over his issued 9mm pistol to the police.  Carulasan was released from police custody yesterday after he executed an affidavit excluding himself from any involvement in the crime.

In an interview after his arrest, Niere said he shot the German when it appeared as if Hesse was trying to pull something from his waistline.

“Niaksyon siya ug bunot sa kilid unya wala ko kabalo if duna siya’y armas kay naka-bonnet man siya gud pero mao to ako na lang giunhan,” Niere said, refusing to comment further.

Niere was taken to the PNP Crime Laboratory-7 yesterday for paraffin examination.

Inspector Crisanto Abella, Alcoy police chief, said that Scene of the Crime Operatives of the Cebu Provincial Police Office is now extracting fingerprints from the improvised explosives allegedly brought by Hesse behind the subdivision’s retirement office.

Superintendent Rodulfo Albotra Jr., PIDMB chief, said as part of the investigation they will ask for CCTV footage from the subdivision to determine what really happened.

He added that security guards have proper training in responding to a crime. They, however, have to check if Niere has a security guard license.  — /BRP (FREEMAN)