Travel agency owner shot dead

A travel agency owner was shot dead by three motorcycle-riding armed men during a botched $60,000 or roughly P3 million robbery in Mandaluyong City Wednesday.

Realizing that they were outsmarted, the angry suspects opened fire at the speeding Mitsubishi Outlander with one of the bullets finding its mark at the back of the victim, Ofelia Salamat.

Salamat, of No. 12 Mariveles St., Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City died while being operated on at the Cardinal Santos hospital in San Juan City.

Senior Superintendent Carlos de Sagun, Mandaluyong City police chief said they already have a “good lead” on Salamat’s case. However, de Sagun refused to reveal additional information on the case so as not to jeopardize ongoing follow-up operations. De Sagun said the victim, along with her husband, Manuel Luis Sazon, mother-in-law and 15-year-old son were on board a white Outlander (XNN 770) when caught by a red traffic light in the corner of Salamat St., and Shaw Blvd. at about 1 p.m.

The foursome had just withdrawn $60,000 from the Metrobank branch along Libertad street.

While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, two of the suspects alighted from a Honda TMX, approached the victim’s vehicle and pummeled its sides with their handguns while signaling Sazon to open the Outlander’s doors.

One of the suspects fired a warning shot in the air.

Instead of heeding the suspects, Sazon, who was behind the wheel, maneuvered his vehicle to an open lane and sped off prompting the angry suspects to open fire at their vehicle.

After realizing that Salamat, who has custody of the $60,000, was hit in the back, Sazon drove her straight to the hospital, where she succumbed while undergoing treatment.