Two men were arrested for allegedly beating to death a sales agent in a traffic altercation Monday afternoon in Quezon City. Dionisio Alegria Jr., a 41-year-old truck driver, and his utility boy Gilbert Gucilatar, 20, of Barangay Gulod, Novaliches, were apprehended by village watchmen who responded to the commotion at the corner of A. Bonifacio Avenue and 7th Avenue in Barangay Pag-Ibig sa Nayon around 5:30 p.m. SPO1 Cristituto Zaldarriaga of the Quezon City Police District said the two men were positively identified by witnesses as the ones who mauled Vitallano Nierva, 31, of Barangay Payatas A. The sales agent died after the suspects repeatedly struck him in the head with a motorcycle helmet. An initial investigation showed that Nierva was driving a delivery tricycle when the suspects, who were on a Honda motorcycle, nearly bumped him. A heated exchange ensued, with Nierva leaving the scene first but Alegria and Gucilatar chasing him. When the two suspects caught up with Nierva, Gucilatar took off his helmet and used it to hit the victim, Zaldiarriaga said, quoting an eyewitness. Nierva was rushed to Quezon City General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Julie Aurelio
Robbers dead 30 mins after taking motorbike
Two men were killed in what police said was a shoot-out after they allegedly stole a motorcycle before dawn Tuesday in Quezon City. The slain men were not immediately identified, but the bike’s owner Norman Sabado positively identified them as the ones who sped off with his green Honda Wave in Novaliches 30 minutes before the shooting. The men were killed by two members of the Novaliches police station at the corner of Doña Ricarte Street and Captain Berdrueco Drive in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon, following a chase around 4 a.m. A third suspect managed to escape. Sabado said he was on his motorcycle when three men on another bike blocked his path around 3:30 a.m. at the corner of Susana Street and Quirino Highway in Barangay Gulod. One of the men got off and ordered Sabado at gunpoint to hand over his bike, then drove off with the other suspects. The victim reported the robbery to the police station, which then sent out teams and set up checkpoints. Policemen on patrol, SPO1 Rodel Deogracias and PO3 Ramon Addun, had just been alerted to the incident when they spotted Sabado’s motorcycle with the one of the suspects on it. The suspects fired back when ordered to stop, leading to a firefight that killed two of them, police said. Julie M. Aurelio
‘619, Nelson’ tattoos clues to slain man’s ID
A man was shot dead in front of a pawnshop Monday night in Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City. The victim, still unidentified as of early Tuesday, was described to be between 25 and 35 years old, 5’2” tall, of medium build, fair-skinned and wearing a white shirt, black pants and white rubber shoes. The man also sported a cross tattoo on the right wrist, the numbers “619” on the right forearm and the name “Nelson” on the right arm. PO3 Jamie de Jesus of the Quezon City Police District said the victim died on the spot from shots in the head and body in front of Cebuana Lhuiller Pawnshop at the corner of President Quezon Street and Payatas Road. A street vendor told police that she heard three gunshots in the area around 11:15 p.m. and later saw the victim on the ground. Julie M. Aurelio