Suspect in prosecutor‘s killing shot dead while grappling with jailer for gun

Angelito Avenido Jr., the suspected killer of the assistant prosecutor, was presented to the media by Director General Oscar Albayalde (right), PNP chief, in June 2018. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Almost two months after his detention, the main suspect in the killing of a five-month pregnant prosecutor in Quezon City was shot dead after grabbing the gun of a police officer on Saturday morning.

Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel, director of the Quezon City Police District, said Angelito Avenido Jr., 31, died in the hospital after being accidentally shot in the lower jaw by duty jailer PO3 Ramil Langa of the QCPD’s homicide section at the second floor of QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit in Camp Karingal.

In his report, Esquivel said Avenido was brought out of his detention cell to prepare him for his transfer to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Quezon City around 10:45 a.m .when he grabbed Langa’s gun.

Chief Insp. Elmer Monsalve, CIDU chief, said Avenido had just finished the standard procedures like fingerprinting and taking of mugshots and was on the way out of the second floor when the scuffle happened.

Monsalve said the gun went off thrice.

“He had just learned he will be committed to QC Jail,” Monsalve said. “Maybe he didn’t want to be committed. He had been in and out of jail since he was 12. He probably did not want to be there since the case against him was strong.”

Investigators SPO2 Jonathan Caranza, PO3 Randy Gandingco and Langa took Avenido to the East Avenue Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival at 11:31 a.m.

Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered three spent ammunition shells where the scuffle took place.

“Had this happened on a weekday, many people getting police clearance could have been hit as well,” Monsalve said.

Avenido, a jeepney barker from General Santos City, had been detained since June 4 in a Quezon City detention cell on a charge of robbery with homicide for killing Madonna Ednaco Joy Tanyag, a prosecutor at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Tanyag, 33, had just bought milk tea at a shop on Visayas Avenue in Barangay Vasra when she was stabbed thrice as she got into her car.

She was taken to East Avenue Medical Center where she died past noon.

Avenido was arrested three hours after the incident.

In an earlier press conference, venido apologized to and asked forgiveness from the family of the victims, saying he “accidentally” killed Tanyag as he scuffled with her while trying to take her belongings.

The police described the incident as a “robbery gone wrong.”

Police said Avenido, who was positive for illegal drugs in a test taken after his arrest, had been jailed in General Santos City for over 10 years for violating the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The case against him was later dismissed and he was released on Feb. 14, 2018.

Shortly after, he was involved in a fatal stabbing in General Santos and escaped to Metro Manila with his live-in partner on March 30.

Albayalde said the suspect’s live-in partner recently filed complaints of domestic abuse against Avenido in Barangay Culiat. /atm