Cop killed by jeepney robbers

A policeman assigned at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) office in Camp Crame was killed after he was shot and stabbed by two masked hold up men early yesterday morning in Caloocan City.

Senior Police Officer 1 Jerry Ramos of the Caloocan police Station Investigation Division, said PO1 Jesus Soliman, 33, of Capt. Rico St., Barangay 172 in Camarin, Caloocan City, was riding on his Honda XRM motorcycle with license plates IY-4022, when the unidentified suspects, who were wearing ski masks, tried to commandeer the victim’s vehicle.

Ramos said the two suspects had just robbed a passenger of a commuter jeepney, when the robbers spotted the passing motorcycle being driven by the policeman who was wearing civilian clothes.

Witnesses told investigators that Soliman stopped when the suspects accosted him at gunpoint, but the policeman resisted and tried to draw his 9 mm pistol.

The gunmen shot him in the head and several more in the body.

Probers said when the victim fell on the ground one of the suspects pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim several times. The robbers took the policeman’s service pistol and run away from the crime scene.

A police Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team led by Senior Inspector Benignbo Asilar, Jr. recovered a .38 caliber revolver with five live bullets the suspects left behind, and an empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol.

Probers said that before the suspects attacked Soliman, they boarded a passenger jeepney and robbed the lone passenger at around 2:25 a.m. in Camarin.

Police said the passenger, Briggs Narciso, of Champaca St., Barangay 174 in Camarin, was robbed of cash and a wristwatch.

Investigators said the two suspects were apparently not satisfied with the loot and tried to commandeer Soliman’s motorcycle. Soliman was reportedly on his way to Camp Crame when he was attacked.

Meanwhile, masked robbers also robbed the house of Marissa Andal at Block 25, Lot 21 at Celerina Homes in Barangay 173, also in Camarin.

The unidentified suspects hogtied the household members and took appliances, cash, jewelry and fled on board the victim’s Mitsubishi Adventure with license plates XEV 418 that was used as the getaway car.

Police probers later found Andal’s vehicle at Crispulo St. in Barangay 180, Caloocan City.

Investigators are checking if the suspects in the Soliman rob-slay and the Andal robbery, belong to one gang. — With Pete Laude