Two ‘basag salamin’ suspects killed in shootout with QC cops

Investigators from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) inspect the crime scene, after two ‘basag salamin’ suspects were killed in a shootout with QCPD operatives on Tuesday midnight. (Photo from QCPD)

Two unidentified men, suspected to be members of a robbery group, were killed by Quezon City police officers who responded to an incident at Barangay Old Balara on Tuesday midnight.

A report from the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) said Police Officer 2 Rino Agader arrived at the scene as one of the suspects allegedly used a hammer to smash the left side window of a Toyota Avanza parked near the Benedictine International School.

Agader then approached the suspect and introduced himself to the car owner and the suspect, who were already engaged in a heated argument.

However, the suspect instead pulled a gun and fired at Agader but missed.

Police said the two suspects then fled from the scene towards Capitol Hills aboard a motorcycle, as Agader alerted personnel from the Police Station 6 (PS6) who were conducting an Oplan Sita near the area.

The report said police officers from PS6 were also shot at as they were chasing the suspects. This triggered a shootout, which ended in the immediate death of the two suspects.

According to QCPD Director Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel, investigators are still determining if the slain suspects are members of the “Batac Robbery Group,” which was busted earlier.

“Inaalam pa natin kung kasama ng mga napatay na ssuspek ang mga naunan nang nahuli ng QCPD at Marikina City Police na leader ng Batac Robbery Hold-up Group at lima pa nitong miyembro matapos silang ireklamo ng kaparehong modus ng pambabasag ng salamin ng sasakyan para magnakaw ng mga gamit,” Esquivel said in a statement on Tuesday.

Esquivel described one of the suspects as about medium-built and between the ages of 38 to 40. The suspect also wore a black helmet, a black face mask, black t-shirt, maong pants, and rubber shoes.

The other suspect was described by police as between 33 to 37 years of age, also of medium-built and wore a black shirt and brown pants.

Seized from the suspects were two .38 caliber revolvers, a hammer, and an unregistered blue motorcycle used as the getaway vehicle. Also seized from the suspects were seven sachets of suspected shabu.  /muf