The suspects were identified as Ricardo Cruz alias Galman; William Raymundo, 23; Renato Dianala; Edgardo Caruncho, 33, and Carlos Hunio, 25, all residents of Sitio Banglad, Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal. They were rounded up from Friday until yesterday in their respective residences.
Chief Superintendent George Aliño, EPD director said Cruz and the four other suspects were positively identified by Hepuller’s "kumpadre" Edwin Espino, 26, as the police officer’s killers.
With the five suspects in police custody, Aliño declared Hepuller’s case closed.
However, Cruz, a neighborhood toughie suspected of drug pushing and his four companions, denied having a hand in the killing of Hepuller last July 24.
Hepuller left his house at past midnight on July 24 to buy milk for his daughter.
His brutally tortured body – internal organs plucked out, tongue protruding and penis severed – was recovered from the Pasig River’s floodway two Saturdays ago.
Espino said he and Hepuller, who was tipsy, attended a wake in the neighborhood at 2 a.m. of July 24, but left on board his bike to buy a callcard for his cellular phone.
On his way back, Espino said he saw a speeding tricycle block the path of Hepuller. He said he saw Cruz alight from the vehicle and hit the police officer in the back of the head with a hard object.
When Hepuller lay bleeding on the ground, two of Cruz’s companions dragged the police officer’s body into the tricycle and drove off towards the guardhouse of a warehouse near the floodway area. Espino said he followed on his bike.
According to Espino, he did not see Hepuller but heard him pleading for his life. "What did I do to you? Why are you doing this to me?" Hepuller was heard to have asked his captors.
A gunshot rang out which was followed by a few minutes of silence, said Espino.
Some 30 minutes later, Espino said, he saw the suspects carrying out a wooden box, with Hepuller’s feet very visible. The suspects hurled the box into the river.
While he was about to leave the area, Espino said Cruz saw him, pointed his gun at him and ordered him to keep his mouth shut. The gun, he said, was a nickel-plated 9mm automatic pistol, the service firearm of Hepuller.
"I mustered enough strength to surface and testify against the suspects," said Espino. "I would like to give justice to my "kumpare."
Of the five suspects, it was Cruz who had an ax to grind against Hepuller, said Superintendent Miguel Marcelo, head of the EPD intelligence division.
According to Marcelo Cruz was mad at Hepuller, the president of the homeowners association, for arresting him months back for drug pushing. During a recent raid at Cruz’s house, Hepuller also slapped Cruz’s mother and sister for his failure to find him.
Police sources said it was Cruz who opened Hepuller’s body and emptied if of its internal organs, which the suspect denied.
Cruz and his companions are presently jailed at the Taytay police headquarters, while Espino is under the custody of the EPD.
Aliño said they are readying appropriate charges against Cruz and his four companions.