QC cops nab leader of notorious band of brothers

Mike Limjoco. Photo courtesy of the Quezon City Police District

A leader of a notorious band of brothers tagged in several crimes was arrested by members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in his home province of Pangasinan on Monday.

Mike Limjoco was tracked down in an operation by the QCPD in coordination with the Pangasinan police around 2:30 p.m. on MacArthur Highway near San Leon Barangay Hall in Umingan town.

The officers came with an arrest warrant on the 38-year-old Limjoco for illegal possession of firearms, issued in September 2016 by Judge Bernelito Bernaldes of QC Regional Trial Court Branch 97.

The suspect was considered the second most wanted man of the QCPD-Cubao station.

Record showed that the Limjoco group was composed of five brothers who were notorious as motorcycle-riding robbers operating in the city since 2009.

In 2014 alone, the group was linked to three robberies in the city.

Limjoco was the third brother to be arrested by the QCPD since 2013.

In July 2013, operatives swooped down on the Limjoco residence in Barangay Socorro in Cubao to arrest the older brother Manny. The elder Limjoco was tagged in the killing of Filipino-Chinese businessman Albert Ang in 2011.

His brother Marvin and other family members reportedly set loose their guard dog on the arresting officers to scare them away and elude arrest.

Officials placed Marvin in custody and initially charged him with obstruction of justice. The suspect, however, later faced another charge when an eyewitness tagged him in the killing of a coconut vendor identified as Jojo Badiola.

The killings of Ang and Badiola allegedly stemmed  from traffic altercations.

Authorities arrested Manny also in Pangasinan in March 2015. Considered then as the most wanted criminal in QC, he also faced a drug-related charge in Manila.

Records showed that in 2013, Mike was placed in a mental health institution for drug rehabilitation.

Another Limjoco brother was reportedly killed in an armed encounter with members of the police Highway Patrol Group a few years earlier.