Robbery suspect killed while sleeping with his 5-month old baby

He never saw it coming.

A member of a ‘notorious’ theft-robbery gang in Pasig City who was under the police’s drug watch list was shot dead by two unidentified men while he was sleeping with his 5-month-old baby inside their house in Brgy. Manggahan, Pasig City on Saturday morning.

Jose Noel Macabenta, 41, died after one of the two male suspects who ‘discreetly’ barged inside their house at Kangkungan site along Lanzones Extension Napico shot him twice around 2:47 am, according to the report of Senior Superintendent Orlando Yebra, Jr., the city’s police chief.

The victim suffered fatal shots in the neck.

The suspects, meanwhile, fled to unknown direction. Recovered from the crime scene were two empty cartridge of unknown firearm.

PO3 Rusthom Valdez told the Inquirer that Macabenta was the third of his six siblings who died because of their alleged involvement in criminal activities. His two younger brothers Nomer and John Paul Macabenta were both suspects in robbery activities last February and March.

Macabenta earlier served around five-six years jail time at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa for an earlier robbery case, Valdez said.

As a robbery group whose members include his siblings, their modus includes robbing houses and settling the case with complainants when busted, Valdez said.

Based on initial investigations, Valdez said there is a possibility that a “vigilante” could be behind the killing.

A witness told the police that Macabenta has long been warned through verbal death threats because of suspected criminal activities in their area.

Macabenta was survived by his wife and five children including the five-month old baby, Valdez said. As of posting time, the family have yet to issue an affidavit to the investigators as they were still in shock. TVJ