Cop slain in supermarket robbery in Nueva Ecija

Nueva Ecija map. INQUIRER FILES

PEÑARANDA, Nueva Ecija — A police officer was killed during an encounter with armed robbers at a supermarket in Barangay Poblacion 1 early Sunday, Oct. 20.

The victim, identified as Police Staff Sergeant Jhon Espinoza of the Peñaranda Municipal Police Station, was fatally shot while responding to the robbery.

Investigators said unidentified armed robbers broke into STM Supermarket.

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Upon receiving the report, Espinoza and his team immediately responded to the scene, but the suspects opened fire on the police, and Espinoza was shot in the head.

He was rushed to Gapan District Hospital in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Authorities were conducting follow-up operations to track down and arrest the suspects involved in the robbery. INQ