5 robbery suspects killed in shootout inside Pangasinan hotel

DAGUPAN CITY — Five suspected members of a robbery gang were killed on Friday in a shootout with policemen inside a hotel at Pozorrubio town in Pangasinan province, said Senior Supt. Ronald Oliver Lee, Pangasinan police director.

The suspects, who have not been identified at press time, booked two rooms when they checked in at 10:30 a.m. in Barangay (village) Poblacion II.

But the hotel owner became suspicious when he saw they were armed, prompting him to alert the police.

After completing a surveillance operation, a team of policemen raided the suspects’ room at 12:30 p.m., Lee said. But the suspects fought back.

In the ensuing firefight, four of the suspects were killed while the fifth suspect died while being treated in a hospital.

Lee said the suspects drove a black sports utility vehicle, which turned out to have been stolen in Dagupan on Thursday.

He said the suspected robbers were tied to 6 robberies in Pangasinan and were known to have also operated in Central Luzon and Calabarzon.