Murder raps against tracker for theft suspect’s death

MURDER charges were filed in court yesterday against an anti-crime volunteer accused of mauling  to death an arrested  theft suspect in the Fuente police station  last year.

No bail was recommended by the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office for  Pedro Piañar Jr., who remains at large.

The charges were filed  before the Regional Trial Court.

“A sudden swift attack akin to treachery was employed by the heavily built respondent, giving the victim no opportunity to defend himself,” said Assistant City Prosecutor Aurora Peñaflor.

Piañar was  a member of the Trackers, a group of anti-crime volunteers that disbanded after the killing was widely reported in the news media.

Piañar disappeared soon after.

Tejano, who was described by  his sister as a mentally disturbed man, was arrested by the Trackers on suspicion that he had  ransacked a house.

He was brought to the Fuente police precinct where he was allegedly kicked in the chest during interrogation inside the Trackers’ room last July 7, 2011.

Edward Pamplona, a member of the Trackers, said Tejano fell off his chair while Piañar, who wore combat boots,  repeatedly kicked the victim.

In his affidavit, Pamplona said he asked Piañar to stop mauling the detainee.

But Piañar, a  taekwondo expert and former soldier, allegedly didn’t heed his request.

Later on, the victim was returned to his detention cell where he was found unconscious an hour later. He was brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

An autopsy revealed that Tejano sustained severe injuries, including broken ribs and signs of physical trauma all over his body. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol