Bystanders beat up 2 men who robbed for kicks

MANILA, Philippines - Two men were arrested yesterday morning in Caloocan City after they were beaten up by bystanders for allegedly robbing a real estate agent.

Victim Jeremias Catandijan, 37, said he was standing along Lapu-Lapu street in Dagat-Dagatan when Eric Reyes, 23, and Jomarie Alvarez, 31, armed with knives, robbed him of his cell phone around 8:30 a.m.

The victim sought the assistance of bystanders, who chased and beat up the suspects. Reyes tried to run away but sustained a fractured left leg when he was hit by a speeding car.

A team from the Northern Police District-District Mobile Force, led by PO2 Noel Falcatan, brought the wounded suspects to the Tondo Medical Center for treatment.

But while at the hospital, stabbing victims Elmer Fausto, 27, and Reynaldo Sandigan, 25, told the police that Reyes and Alvarez, with two others, attacked them with knives outside their house in Barangay 8 in Dagat-Dagatan at around 1 a.m.

Fausto was wounded in the left thigh while Sandigan suffered a gaping stab wound in the back.

Reyes admitted robbing Catandijan but denied involvement in other crimes. Alvarez, however, claimed his group attacked Fausto and Sandigan for kicks because they were drunk. He also admitted robbing Catandijan with Reyes. 

PO2 Michael Mortel said they were verifying information that the suspects are the subjects of an arrest warrant for a P200,000 robbery last December, also in Dagat-Dagatan.

He said charges of two counts of frustrated murder and robbery would be filed against the suspects.