Death of teen accused of robbing taxi driver puzzles father

On August 18, 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz went out with a friend to eat midnight snacks but never came back home.

Ten days later, his father, Carlito, found his son at a morgue in Caloocan City dead with gunshot wounds.

“Kasi nung time na yon, umalis ng mga alas dose ng gabi yan. Magmemeryenda lang (Because during the time, he went out of the house around 12 midnight. Just to have some snacks),” the father recalled during an interview with DZMM on Friday.

Carl was reportedly killed in a shootout in Caloocan City allegedly after robbing a taxi driver the same night he left their home in Cainta, Rizal.

But his father disputed the report.

“Puro kasinungalingan lang ho ‘yan kasi kilala ko anak namin. Hindi pala-layas ‘yan e (Those are all lies because we know our son. He did not usually go out),” the grieving father narrated.

“Ni minsan hindi pa siya nakarating ng ganoong kalayong lugar (He never went to a place that far),” he added.

READ: Missing teen turns up dead, tagged a taxi robber by cops

According to an August 30 spot report of the police, Carl flagged down a taxi in Navotas City at around 3:20 a.m. on August 18. When the taxicab reached C-3 Road in Caloocan City, he reportedly hit the driver, Tomas Bagcal, at the back of the head with a .38-caliber revolver and took the driver’s wallet.

The police also recovered marijuana leaves from Carl, the spot report disclosed.

The father said his family, who was still reeling over what happened, has no plans yet of filing a complaint against the authorities involved in the killing for lack of complete details.

“Hindi namin sukat akalain na ganun mangyayari sa anak namin (We never thought that this would happen to our son),” Carlito said.

Arnaiz’s family and friends on social media cried for justice for the slain teen as they expressed shock at his untimely death. JPV