Car of suspect in traffic enforcer’s slay found in Antipolo

INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA — The vehicle used by a suspect when he killed a barangay traffic enforcer last week — a crime caught on camera — was found abandoned in Antipolo City over the weekend.

Investigators from the Quezon City Police District’s (QCPD) investigation unit said the Honda Civic with plate No. ZNH 321 was recovered by the police at Lot 17, Knight of Columbus, Barangay San Roque, Antipolo City, last Saturday, at around 10:40 a.m.

The address was said to be the house of the suspect’s cousin. She told authorities that her relative left the car there past noon on September 30 then immediately left the area.

The vehicle was the center of the manhunt operation for the suspect, only identified as a mechanic, who shot and killed traffic enforcer Ernesto Paras Jr. on Friday morning at the corner of La Salle Street and Ermin Garcia Street in Brgy. Silangan, Cubao, over an issue on double parking.

A footage from a closed-circuit television footage in the area showed Paras noticing the car driven by the suspect violating the no-double parking rule along the street.

He tried to locate the driver but when he failed to see him, Paras then removed the license plate of the car. The driver then appeared  and had an altercation with the enforcer, who did not want to yield to the request of the suspect.

The suspect was later seen getting a gun from his car then firing several shots at Paras, causing his death.

Witnesses at the scene gave police the description of the suspect and his identity but the QCPD only released details about his work, saying they were keeping his full name because of the ongoing manhunt operations.

Resident Roseldo Dela Cruz, who was with the suspect before the shooting, told the police that the latter was hired by his boss to repair their ten-wheeler truck.

The suspect parked the Honda Civic car along La Salle Street in Cubao, then walked to the truck located a few meters away.

The owner of the Honda Civic also appeared at the QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal on Sunday to clear his name. Jayson Agdamag said he entrusted his vehicle to the suspect last May for  clutch repair and set-up. He claimed that he was shocked when he saw in the news that it was the vehicle used in killing Paras.  SFM/RGA