1 wounded in pillbox explosion in frat war

A 24-year-old man sustained shrapnel wounds when a ‘pillbox’ exploded between two warring groups of youngsters he was reportedly trying to pacify Saturday night in Caloocan City.

Senior Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, Caloocan City police chief, identified the victim as Arnold Perez of 27 Sawata street, Maypajo, Caloocan.

At around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, youngsters composed of the Pasaway Gang and the Talilong Boys, reportedly engaged in a free-for-all when they met at the corner of J.P. Rizal and Talilong streets in Maypajo.

Perez, who was passing by, reportedly tried to pacify the warring gangs but instead of heeding him, one of the Talilong Boys’ members, identified only as Michael, a minor, hurled a pillbox at him.

Perez sustained multiple minor injuries in different parts of the body. The boy escaped after the incident.

Meanwhile, in Bagong Silang, also in Caloocan City, angry residents reportedly beat black and blue an alleged snatcher they apprehended after victimizing a jeepney passenger at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Suspect Romeo Lorenzana, 23, of Phase 3, Package 1, Block 3, Bagong Silang, was collared and beaten up by the residents after he allegedly snatched the bracelet of an engineer, Richard Magawile, 35.

Police prober PO1 Richard Ian Tubiera said that Lorenzana pretended to be one of the passengers of the jeepney and waited for an opportune time to grab the bracelet of Magawile while they were cruising along a street in Phase 1, Bagong Silang. — Pete Laude