Suspect in Carcar mayor son’s slay arrested in Bohol

A construction worker was arrested in Bohol province yesterday for the fatal shooting of the son of Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura.

Jay Boy Lauron, 28, confessed he was the gunman but said he didn’t know the man he killed after a confrontion on the dance floor was the mayor’s son.

Lauron, a resident of barangay Carreta, Cebu City, said he was with friends dancing on Sunday dawn when a stranger angrily challenged him to a gun duel.

“Nasuya siya sa akong sayaw, iya kung gihagit og pinusilay” (He was envious of my dancing. He challenged me to a gun duel),” said Lauron, who admitted he was under the influence of liquor by that time.

Saying he feared he may be killed first, Lauron told reporters he took out his firearm, placed it inside his pocket and shot the victim.

The incident took place in barangay Valladolid where Lauron was visiting a relative.

Barely three days after the killing, another shooting took place in sitio Tubod, barangay Valladolid where motorycle-riding assailants opened fire at a group of young men rehearsing a hip hop dance number.

Two boys aged 15 and 17 were wounded in the incident which happend 8:50 p.m. Wednesday.

Insp. Arbie Arbuis, deputy chief of Carcar City Police said the shooting was a case of random violence and was not related to the death of the mayor’s son Karl Vinzon.

Police found two empty shells of a caliber 9mm handgun on the ground.

Arbuis said the three men on a motorbike who attacked the group may have just been “tripping”. The victims didn’t belong to a gang or a fraternity.

Carcar police tracked down Lauron, the main suspect in the Apura slay, to barangay Tri-Onion, Catigbian town in Bohol province.

Chief Insp. Teodulfo Manatad III, chief of the Carcar police, said witnesses led them to Lauron’s location.

Lauron was brought to Cebu City last night where he was detained at the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

The arrest ended speculation that the death of the mayor’s son was related to fraternity rivalry since Karl Vinzon he was a member of the Akrho fraternity.

Lauron said he didn’t belong to any fraternity.

After he shot the young man, he said he jumped over the fence, threw away his gun and fled to Bohol.

He said the firearm was owned by his father and that he brought it for protection knowing there were many shooting incidents in the area.

Lauron asked forgiveness for his action and said he was ready to face the criminal charges against him.

Manatad, the Carcar police chief, said Lauron who claimed to be visiting relatives in Cabigtian town, was carrying coconuts and tried to run away when he noticed policemen approaching.

He was arrested after a brief chase.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr. , Cebu provincial police chief, said the case was not yet closed and that investigation will continue to look for Lauron’s cohorts.

Lauron mentioned that he was with his friend Jetro when the shooting took place.

Rico Osmeña, spokesman of Tau Gamma Phi, reiterated his call for “peace” between his group and Akrho.

“The Tau Gamma Phi fraternity would like to reiterate call for a peaceful co-existence with other groups,” Osmena said.