Police tag same gang in Baclaran, Las Piñas heists; vehicle recovered

The same group is responsible for both robbery incidents in Baclaran, Parañaque City last Saturday and in Las Piñas City last Monday, police said yesterday.

Parañaque City police chief Superintendent Ronald Estilles said both incidents involved three suspects, armed with same caliber of firearms and on board a red motorcycle.

"We are seeing a pattern here," explained Estilles. "The suspects did not hesitate to shoot their victims."

The victims in the Baclaran heist — businesswoman Cherry Elife, 45, and her nephew Charles Spencer Castro, 22, were shot in back with caliber .45 pistols when they tried to run while being held up in an eatery at the corner of Aguara and J. Gabriel streets at around 11:55 a.m. last Saturday. Both survived.

The suspects took more than P500,000 from the woman and escaped on a red Suzuki X4 motorcycle (UV-3926).

In Las Piñas the other day, balikbayan Michael Trinos, 59, and security guard Venerando Taguba were killed when they tried to help a woman being held up near a money changer shop along the Alabang-Zapote Road at around 10 a.m. The suspects got away on board a red motorcycle.

Estilles said they have recovered last Monday the motorcycle with plate number UV-3926.

He said the vehicle is owned by Samuel Ando of the Pag-Asa West Floodway, where the motorcycle was found attached to a sidecar.

Ando said his houseboy, a certain Nonoy, borrowed the motorcycle for four days.

Police have also released a cartographic sketch of the suspect, who is around 38 years old, 5’ 7" in height and with dark complexion.