Alleged car thief with 13 pending arrest warrants falls in Laguna

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Philippines—The alleged leader of a car theft group responsible for a string of cases in Cavite and Metro Manila and a companion have been arrested following a brief shootout with the authorities in Nagcarlan, Laguna, police said Friday.

Tyrone dela Cruz, 29, alleged leader of what the police refer to as the “Dela Cruz carnapping group,” had 13 warrants for his arrest, one of which the Laguna police served on the suspect at his apartment in Barangay Sibulan, Nagcarlan, at  2 p.m. on Thursday, police said.

During the police operation, Dela Cruz and companion Jezreel Jimmy Cuevas tried to fight back and engaged the lawmen in a shootout that lasted for over half an hour, said Laguna Special Task Group head Senior Inspector Vicente Cabatingan.

He said Dela Cruz was hit on the thigh and was taken to the Nagcarlan District Hospital for treatment. Both suspects were then detained at the Laguna police headquarters in Sta. Cruz town.

Cabatingan said the group’s “stronghold” was in Imus City, Cavite, but intelligence reports led the police to safehouses in the towns of  Pila, Victoria and Nagcarlan in Laguna.

He said Dela Cruz had given them the names of seven more gang members, who were now being tracked down by the police.