Bayad Center owner makes 2 robbers ‘pay’

Before moving in for the heist, the suspects received instructions through text messages from someone familiar with their target’s schedule.

What their insider apparently didn’t know was that Edward Atienza, owner of a Bayad Center payment collection service outlet in Quezon City, was armed on Saturday night.

Two robbery suspects were killed and two bystanders were hurt in a shootout between Atienza and the suspects at around 6:30 p.m. on IBP Road in Barangay (village) Batasan Hills, police said Sunday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Eric Lazo of the Quezon City Police District identified one of the slain suspects as Lito Elias of Tondo, Manila, based on a barangay certificate found in the latter’s pocket. The second suspect remained unidentified.

In his statement to the police, the 56-year-old Atienza said he was in his Nissan Frontier, then parked in front of his Bayad Center outlet on IBP Road, to pick up his female cashiers when the suspects approached.

The armed suspects then grabbed a bag containing about P200,000 from one of the employees as they were about to board the vehicle. The money represented their collections that day.

But before the suspects could run away with the loot, Atienza, who was also armed, got off his vehicle and fired at Elias and his partner.

The two suspects lay dead after an exchange of gunfire, while two bystanders were hit by stray bullets, according to the police.

Recovered from the suspects were a 9mm pistol and a .38-cal. revolver.

The unidentified suspect was also carrying a cell phone which,

Lazo said, had received several text messages before the shootout about Atienza’s arrival at the shop.

The messages, which came from an unnamed sender, instructed the two others to watch out for Atienza’s arrival since it was usually the time the money from the shop was exposed and turned over to him.

Lazo said the third suspect who sent the messages may have acted as a lookout during the attempted robbery.