Hostage drama carnage shocks town

PILI, Camarines Sur—Four more people were injured, including a policeman, in a grenade explosion while police were clearing the scene of a 10-hour hostage drama that ended in the killing of five people, including the hostage-taker, on New Year’s Eve.

Workers of a mortuary, accompanied by policemen, were entering the Zepeda compound to pick up the bodies of the dead past 7 p.m. on Tuesday when they were greeted by an explosion, which came from a live grenade left behind by hostage-taker Anthony Zepeda, 35, who had shot himself in the head after killing four people he had taken hostage.

PO1 Gerald Corporal, of the Pili police force, said Anthony’s body was in a sitting position when mortuary workers and policemen entered the compound to retrieve the hostage-taker’s remains.

Anthony apparently had been sitting on the live grenade, which exploded when his body was being lifted, said Corporal.

Wounded

A mortuary worker has been critically wounded while a policeman, PO3 Jose Benito, and two other mortuary workers suffered minor wounds, said Corporal.

Senior Supt. Ramiro Bausa, provincial police chief, earlier said Anthony shot himself in the head with a .45 cal. pistol after shooting to death his father, Expedito, who was in his 70s, his older brother, Victor, who was in his 40s, Victor’s wife, Sharmaine, and an unidentified house help.

The remains of the slain family members were on the second floor of the house while Anthony was believed to have killed himself on the ground floor of the house past 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Corporal said.

Corporal said initial investigation showed that Anthony was suffering from depression after he separated from his wife. Anthony and his wife have three children but there was no information as to the whereabouts of the children and the wife, Corporal said.

Bausa said the hostage crisis team tried to negotiate with Anthony but Anthony refused to talk with the negotiating team.

Gunshots

Bausa said policemen stood their ground inside the house, but past 4 p.m., they heard two gunshots. “The police team then stormed the house and found the four dead bodies inside a room on the second floor,” said Bausa.

Anthony’s body was found on the ground floor, said Corporal.

Police said the hostage drama started to unfold at 6 a.m. while family members were preparing to take their breakfast.

Senior Insp. Benjamin Spaña, Pili police chief, in an interview, said a second house helper, whom he identified as Gello Gallardo, 14, was able to flee when tension heightened during the family’s breakfast past 9 a.m.

Tension rising

Gallardo told police that before he fled the house, Expedito and Anthony were arguing and he saw Anthony hit his father with a chair.

Spaña said Anthony had fired a gun indiscriminately prior to the killings, wounding three persons.

The hostage-taking took place in a one-hectare compound where a facility for the production of animal feeds owned by the family is located, added Spaña. Traffic was rerouted to the diversion road as motorists were prevented from entering the town center of Pili while the hostage drama was taking place.