Malabon’s most wanted man arrested

Malabon’s most wanted man, accused of committing at least six serious crimes in a matter of two weeks, was arrested over the weekend by intelligence agents of the Northern Police District.

Chief Inspector Sotero Ramos Jr., chief of the NPD-District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU), identified the suspect as Richard Napalit, 23, of Block 14-B, Lot 40, Phase II, Area-3, Barangay Longos, Malabon City.

Napalit is facing a frustrated murder charge in a Malabon City court for the Oct. 6 near-fatal stabbing of student-neighbor Angelo Lorica.

According to Ramos the suspect is also wanted by the police for last Oct. 16’s murder of one Joseph Ginete of Barangay 14, District II, Zone 2, Caloocan City and for stabbing and seriously wounding Glenn Guanzon, Ginete’s neighbor.

Ramos added that the NPD-DPIU was hot on the trail of Napalit for a series of robbery holdups on Oct. 12 in Kaunlaran Village, Barangay Longos, where the suspect’s alleged cohort, Edwin Rodriguez, was arrested.

Two holdup victims, Kristina Atillo and Emeterio Padre, in a confrontation at the NPD-DPIU office, positively identified Napalit as the perpetrator.

Last Oct. 23, another holdup victim Melissa Panesa, 24, reported to the NPD-DPIU office that a knife-wielding man had robbed her along Tanigue street in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City at about 11:30 a.m.

"Napalit is a notorious criminal wanted not only by my men but also by the Malabon City police. He is such a dreaded felon that even the parish priest in Dagat-Dagatan complained of his unabated criminal activities," Ramos said.

Ramos, the new chief of NPD-DPIU, added that Napalit earlier eluded arrest as he was protected by some crooked police officers.

"I have learned that the suspect was used by some policemen as their ‘asset’ in penetrating other criminal groups," Ramos said. –Pete Laude