Crime spree suspect arrested

Two main suspects in the robbery-shooting spree in Cebu City last May 25 are in jail, facing cases of multiple robbery and attempted homicide.

Police arrested Jose Emmanuel Armodia Richards, also known as Jose Emmanuel Corominas or Patsoy. A 14-year-old boy was aslo arrested while another cohort is still at large.

Richards was accused of shooting and wounding businesswoman Eleanor Rivera then driving off with her SUV which was parked near Ayala Heights in barangay Babag.

Another victim Julius Capuno was shot in a separate encounter.

Richards was arrested in barangay Calamba Sunday morning while he was visiting his family. Police said a .45 cal. pistol and a grenade were found in his possession.

Senior Supt. Noli Romana, Cebu City police chief, said that with the filing of criminal charges, the case is considered solved.

A 14-year-old boy was identified by witnesses as Richard’s companion in the holdups. Due to his minor age, he is exempt from criminal liability under the Juvenile Welfare and Justice Act.

During inquest proceedings, both waived a preliminary investigation. The prosecutor had the charges filed directly with the Regional Trial Court.

The holdup took place 10 p.m. of Sunday and the crime spree lasted till 2 a.m. of May 26.

Richards and his gang commandeered a taxi in Talisay City, forcibly took three motorcycles, a multicab and Rivera’s Chevrolet Captiva.

All the vehicles were later recovered. The vehicles were left behind as the hoodlums evaded policemen. They stole at least P50,000 cash from Rivera.

Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella said that barangay captains of Talamban, Pulang Bato, Cabayan and Budlaan reported on Tuesday that their difficulty in going after drug peddlers is because of the perception that “some policemen are in connivance with the drug carriers”.

The PCAC is also looking into reports that some policemen of the Talamban Police Station are in cahoots with drug peddlers.

Labella said that PCAC asked Insp. Bienvenido Miral, Talamban Police Station chief, to verify the report of the barangay captains.

Miral has 20 men under his command.

Labella said that PCAC is also studying a proposal by some barangay captains to arm tanods.

However, he said, arming tanods would require proper training and psychological evaluation to determine if they are fit to handle a gun.

Labella heads the PCAC, which held a meeting at the Talamban Police Station on Tuesday with mountain barangay captains.

They decided to set up a police detachment in the southern barangays of Guba or Agsungot in addition to the detachment in the northern barangay of Mabini.

Next Tuesday, PCAC’s weekly meeting will be in barangay Guba with barangay captains of Agsungot, Sirao, Binaliw and San Jose.