Teller escort killed in Novaliches bank heist

A bank security escort was killed while a mall employee was wounded after being shot by four armed men during a bank heist inside a mall in Novaliches, Quezon City yesterday morning.

Dodito Flores, 34, of Mandarin Security Agency, and resident of North Fairview, was shot in the head while he was escorting two roving tellers of an Asia Trust Bank branch located at the Nova Mall along the Quirino Highway.

The other victim, a mall employee whose name was unavailable, was taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. The civilian was hit by a stray bullet.

Initial investigation disclosed that the incident took place shortly past 9 a.m. while the roving tellers and security escorts were walking toward the armored van waiting outside the shopping center. They were carrying three bags of cash.

The two roving Asia Trust Bank tellers, identified as Ronaldo Alingod and Alejandro Fortea had just picked up the collection from the bank and were being escorted by Flores and another security escort identified as a certain Lindico when two of the suspects blocked their path. They shot Flores at close range.

The tellers and the remaining escort then scampered for safety. Fortea managed to take with him one of the bags of cash. The suspects managed to take the other two bags.

The robbers then rushed outside the mall and escaped on board two motorcycles — a silver SYM Tri-Star with no license plates and a red Kawasaki (TG-4212). Later, however, one of the motorcycles was recovered by police along Geronimo street in Barangay Sta. Monica, which is about a hundred meters away from the mall.

Witnesses said that the suspects commandeered a maroon-colored Mitsubishi Adventure and proceeded toward Malinta.

The robbery took place amid a heightened security alert with the expected visit of US President George W. Bush.