Why fugitive cop spent 40 minutes in CR

A policeman wanted for allegedly shooting a man during a street fight seven years ago was finally arrested early this week after a relative of the victim spotted him at a memorial chapel in Quezon City.

But PO2 Jesse Caragdag did not give up easily and tried to hide inside the chapel’s comfort room.

“It took 40 minutes before I finally convinced him to come out of the restroom,” Supt. Crisostomo Mendoza of the Kamuning police station told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Caragdag was then attending the wake of a fellow police officer when a relative of his victim, Randy Boy Cruz, saw him in the crowd by chance.

Caragdag is facing murder charges for allegedly shooting Cruz during a drunken street fight in Tondo in 2005. He has a pending arrest warrant issued by Judge Jose Mendoza of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 55.

A relative of Cruz saw Caragdag at St. Peter Memorial Chapel and called up Cruz’s father, who then asked for assistance from the Quezon City police.

When Mendoza’s team arrived at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, an armed Caragdag locked himself up inside the toilet.

He eventually surrendered and was turned over to the Manila City Jail.