Suspected thief slain in Nueva Ecija

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija-–An alleged thief was killed in an 8 p.m. clash with policemen on Wednesday (Jan. 9) in Barangay (village) Sampaloc here.

Francisco Valenzuela fired at police officers in an unlit road, but an accomplice managed to flee in a motorcycle, said Supt. Alexie Desamito, town police chief.

Patrolling policemen chased after Valenzuela after a car owner screamed for help when she caught them in the act of breaking into her car.

The screams made by Leny Rose Balaguidan, 39, manager of a cosmetics distribution company, may have startled the suspects, Desamito said. One of the suspects fired in the air before driving off.

The policemen cornered them at the road which led to a gunfight.

Investigators said Valenzuela had a handgun, a black sling bag and two sachets of what could be shabu (crystal meth).

Desamito said Valenzuela had been detained before for another theft complaint. Security camera footage shows Valenzuela ransacking a van parked in front of a restaurant in Barangay Dinarayat here in late 2018, she said. Armand Galang/lzb