One killed, another wounded in a hot pursuit operation in Carcar City

A robbery suspect was killed while his companion was wounded during a hot pursuit operation by Carcar City police on Tuesday afternoon.

Loloy Esmaer died from gunshot wounds on his body while Jose Bryan Caballero is now detained at the Carcar City Police Station.

Esmaer and Caballero are both residents of Barangay Linao, Talisay City.

PO2 Lauro Laurel said the suspect robbed a delivery truck and a lending collector before their encounter with Carcar City policemen.

The two first victimized Romeo Bohol, a lending collector of 24-25 Finance Corp., based in Bais City, Negros Oriental.

Bohol was collecting money from clients in Barangay Palanas in Alcantara town in southern Cebu when the suspects, who were onboard a motorcycle, blocked his way around 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

The suspects took P20,000 cash, Bohol’s cellphone and the key of his service motorcycle.

From Alcantara town, the suspects proceeded to Dumanjug town located about 27 kilometers away and robbed sales agent Josewel Ben Macarine II.

Macarine of Barangay Banilad in Cebu City was driving a company delivery van on his way to Ronda town to deliver company products.

The suspects blocked his vehicle in the vicinity of Barangay Bitoon in Dumanjug town around 2:40 p.m. and took his cash amounting to P6,000 and his GPS tracking device.

After Macarine reported the robbery, PO2 Lauro Laurel of the Dumanjug Police Station said they immediately disseminated information of the robbery incidents to other police stations in the neighboring localities.

Carcar police who received the radio communication immediately implemented road blocks and chanced upon the two suspects who were already heading for Cebu City.

Laurel said the two suspects sped off after they were flagged down in a police checkpoint in Barangay Guadalupe, Carcar City.

Police chased the suspects until the vicinity of Barangay Bolinawan. But their motorcycle slipped causing the suspects to fall.

Esmaer, the backrider, held a nearby farmer hostage but the farmer managed to escape from his grip. Esmaer later engaged police in an exchange of gunfire and was killed.

Caballero, who went to hide in a rice field, was mobbed by Bolinawan residents after he came out from hiding around 7 p.m.

Residents turned over a wounded and bruised Caballero to barangay captain Michelle Dador who later turned him over to the Carcar City police.

On the same night, Carcar police also sent him to the Dumanjug police station for detention.

Police recovered from Esmaer’s possesion a sling bag which contained a Samsung tablet, a GPS tracker, cash amounting to P5,800 and a .357 revolver with five live bullets.