2 suspects in girl’s rape-slay end up dead in police car

SAN PEDRO CITY–Two suspects in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Bacoor City in Cavite province died after a policeman shot them when they tried to grab the guns of other policemen who were taking them to a hospital on Wednesday night.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, Supt. Christopher Olazo, Bacoor City police chief, said the slain suspects, Nico Zamora and Rowell dela Cruz, were arrested Wednesday night, just hours after police recovered the girl’s body near a river in Barangay Zapote 5.

The girl’s face was bloodied and she was confirmed to have been sexually assaulted, Olazo said. He said a witness identified the suspects as behind the slaying of the girl.

At the police station, Zamora and Dela Cruz named two other suspects, Reynaldo dela Cruz and Jessie Aguilar. All four are residents of Las Piñas City.

“[Zamora and Rowell dela Cruz] were obviously high on [illegal] drugs when taken to our station. They were then led to [a police] mobile so they could undergo a medical checkup in [a local] hospital,” Olazo said.

He said only a pair of handcuffs was used for the suspects. Inside the vehicle, the suspects tried to grab the firearms of their police escorts and grappled with them, prompting another policeman, PO1 Marvin Rae Calaor, to shoot them.

They died while being taken to a local hospital at 10:30 p.m.

Olazo said another team of policemen pursued Reynaldo dela Cruz and Aguilar, who were arrested at 11:55 p.m.

Police on Thursday filed charges of rape and murder against the suspects. CDG/rga
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