Eric Dalmacio: Killer or fall guy? —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
The police have arrested one of the two suspects in last week’s killing of a 16-year-old boy in Quezon City in what is believed to be a foiled robbery.
Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar Jr., Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, said that Eric Dalmacio, the man who allegedly shot Kevin Reantaso, was arrested on Sunday after Talipapa Station 3 policemen caught him with a .38-caliber revolver.
Dalmacio, a construction worker living under a bridge in Project 8, Barangay Tandang Sora, was taken to the police station where a witness tagged him as one of the two men on a motorcycle who killed Reantaso.
Dalmacio, whom Eleazar announced had tested positive for drugs, was also linked to the teenager’s killing by other witnesses and footage from a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera.
Based on initial police investigation, the victim, who was a Grade 10 student, was walking home from a birthday party with his classmates when he was shot dead by one of two men on a motorcycle.
The incident happened on General Avenue in Barangay Bahay Toro around 7:30 p.m. on Oct 25.
Victim left behind
Senior Insp. Elmer Monsalve, chief of the QCPD’s homicide section, said Reantaso had lagged behind because he stopped to tie his shoelaces.
Footage taken by a CCTV camera showed two men on a motorcycle stopping beside Reantaso, who ran. Dalmacio, however, shot the teenager in the back and on the left knee.
Eleazar said the suspects had intended to take Reantaso’s cell phone, but he ran away.
“The victim’s old HTC Smartphone was not taken by the suspects.
The phone being used by the victim that time looked attractive to the robbers because it was big and [the screen] was brightly lit,” Monsalve added.
The cell phone has since been placed in the casket of the victim whose wake is ongoing, Eleazar said.
When interviewed on Monday, Dalmacio denied the accusation, saying he had nothing to do with the robbery and killing. He admitted, however, being arrested for theft in 2014. He was released under probation in April.
Eleazar said Dalmacio was also involved in another robbery on Sampaguita Street on Oct. 11. Two bakery workers reported that two armed men on a motorcycle took their cell phones.
A witness positively identified Dalmacio through his tattoos, the police official added.
“These are [motorcycle-riding] robbers who take small items like cell phones. This is an accomplishment. We were able to arrest a suspect involved in simple snatching resulting in a killing,” Eleazar said.
Links to other cases probed
“We are still gathering information about similar robberies in Bahay Toro. Initially, the place where Reantaso was shot was near the bakeshop. We are looking into other cases or if the suspects are linked with other robbery groups,” he added.
Dalmacio faces violations of Republic Act No. 10591 on top of charges of homicide and two counts of robbery.
The police said they had identified the other suspect but did not name him as a follow-up operation was ongoing.