Artemio Noya, wearing a black ski mask, later found to be a neighbor of Erwin Lucero, a construction worker, and his wife, a fish vendor, grabbed the couple’s only daughter Beverly and, putting his gun to her head, threatened to pull the trigger.
Noya apparently felt the P22,000 he got from the couple was too small and demanded more.
But Erwin could give no more, saying P20,000 of the amount was his savings for the education of Beverly while the rest was his wife’s earnings from selling fish.
But Noya would not listen to the explanation and grew increasingly hostile, pressing the gun harder against the side of the head of Beverly.
When she got the chance, the wife managed to run outside and began screaming for help. Incensed, Noya fired his gun thrice in the air and started to drag Beverly outside. But Noya now had two fronts to face: Erwin inside the house and a gathering irate mob outside.
Eventually Noya got distracted and Erwin took his chance, jumped on the robber and tackled him to the ground.
In the scuffle, Noya still managed to fire his gun, hitting Erwin in the leg. But Erwin would not let go.
Beverly, loosened from Noya’s grip, escaped.
Two tanods in the crowd, Rudy Lucero and Toribio Bitoon then jumped into the fray and, together with Erwin, subdued Noya.
Grabbing the ski mask, they yanked it off Noya’s head and were shocked to see it was their neighbor.
PO1 Oliver Rondina of the Compostela police said Beverly is now safe but is still in shock and refused to talk lengthily.
Erwin was taken to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City to have his gunshot wound treated. His life is not in danger.
Noya himself suffered a few cuts and bruises in the scuffle. He is under police guard in the same hospital. — Freeman News Service