Man takes convenience store staff hostage

DAVAO CITY – A desperate man took hostage for at least an hour yesterday afternoon the four employees of the Central Convenience Store here after he seized the service pistol of the store’s security guard.

San Pedro Police Station commander Chief Inspector Alden Delvo identified the suspect as one Ricky Garcia, 29, resident of Camus, corner Malvar sts., this city.

Delvo said Garcia went inside the convenience store located along Jacinto Extension at around 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon and without any provocation, he suddenly disarmed the security guard with his .38 caliber revolver.

Garcia reportedly threatened the four store clerks, two males and two females, after he sent the security guard out of the store. He was said to have herded the store clerks one by one into the stockroom and locked them up inside.

Delvo said Garcia was most of the time also pointing the gun to his head while authorities were negotiating for his peaceful surrender.

Garcia was said to have been looking for a certain ‘Dra. Gascon’ and for his live-in partner, a certain ‘Michelle.’ Garcia was reported to have been affected by Michelle’s leaving him which led him to take the convenience store employees hostage.

”I was trying to befriend him while he was holding the gun which started the negotiation. And when I sensed that it was already safe to launch the assault, we fired warning shots before really overtaking him,” Delvo told The STAR.

Garcia, during the negotiation was also reportedly asking for money in exchange for the freedom of the four clerks. The suspect was said to have written his demands in small pieces of paper while the negotiation was going on. 

Delvo, who also led both the negotiation and the assault on Garcia, said the saving measure was done in such a way that no one would be hurt including the suspect.

“He was not harmed at all. He was taken in such a manner that his life would be saved. Shots were fired to scare him” Delvo said.

Delvo said that charges of illegal possession of firearms, illegal detention and asking for ransom money shall be filed against Garcia.

Davao City police office director Senior Superintendent Jaime Morente commended Delvo and his men for the safe resolution of the crisis situation.

“It was a job well done since no one was hurt when the assault was taken to rescue the hostages,” Morente said.