BODY OF EVIDENCE. Explosive Ordnance Divison personnel inspect the Toyota Grandia-type van (TBO-299) allegedly used by Alfred Mendiola, the slain key witness in a criminal case against the leaders of the Dominguez carjacking gang, which was recovered in Baclaran, Parañaque City on Tuesday. Southern Police District head Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona says that shells from a caliber .45 pistol and packaging tape were found inside the van. The bodies of Mendiola and two others were found in Dasmariñas, Cavite province Sunday, May 6, 2012. NINO JESUS ORBETA/Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—The younger brother of alleged leaders of a notorious carjack gang, along with three others, were arrested Tuesday in Bulacan province, police said Wednesday.
Superintendent David Poklay, Malolos police chief, identified the arrested suspects as Ryan Santos Dominguez, 20, of Iba O’ Este, Calumpit, Bulacan; Mark Mario Santos Lacambacal, 21, of No. 1471 A. Mariano Street, Pateros, Manila; James Pintacasi Jimenez, 37, of Imelda Street, Novaliches, Quezon City; and Roy Mabuyo Blanco, 27, of FB De Jesus Subdivision, Novaliches, Quezon City.
Ryan was said to be a sibling of suspected carjack group leaders Raymond and Roger Dominguez who have been arrested last year for allegedly killing two car dealers.
He said an operation was conducted for their arrest after a concerned citizen informed authorities that a group of armed men were seen having pot session in a house along Barangay (village) San Agustin in Malolos, Bulacan.
Confiscated from their possession were one baby armalite (M16) Rifle Colt AR15 with serial number RP157568; one baby armalite (M16) Rifle with defaced Serial number; one .45-caliber pistol with serial number 300105; one Armscor .45-caliber pistol with serial number 25987; two magazines for .45-caliber pistol; 10 rounds of live ammunitions for .45-caliber pistol; three long magazines for 5.56-caliber rifle; three short magazines for 5.56-caliber rifle; 97 rounds of live ammunitions for 5.56-caliber rifle; two hand grenades; two pieces of plastic sachets containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as “shabu’; some assorted documents and other paraphernalia used in pot session, Poklay said.
Three vehicles were also confiscated from them.
Among the units, Poklay said, were a white Nissan Navarra Pick Up (CSJ 33); one brown Toyota Innova (ZCJ 171); one dark gray Subaru Impreza (ZNX 628).
He said the he confiscated firearms have been turned over to the Bulacan Provincial Crime Laboratory Office for ballistics examination, macro etching and cross matching.
Likewise, the vehicles were processed by a team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives while HPT Bulacan personnel are thoroughly checking the records of the impounded vehicles to determine if they were stolen, the police chief said.
They were charged with illegal possessions of firearms, he said.
In a radio interview with DZMM, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said that investigations will be conducted to check if the stolen firearms have been used to kill Alfred Mendiola, a star witness against the group, along with two other people in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Their bodies were found with gunshot wounds to their heads.