Mandaue police produce sketches of ambush suspects
The Mandaue City Police Office yesterday released composite sketches of two of six assailants in the Aug. 13 ambush-slay of lawyer Amelie Alegre.
The cohorts stand between 5’5 and 5’6 tall and have dark skin.
One sports a goatee while the other has an elongated face. Both wore full-faced helmets and black sweatshirts, according to witnesses.
“We are requesting the public to give us any information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators,” said Senior Supt. Marinao Natu-el, police chief.
Citizens can call the police at at 344-6314 and e-mail [email protected].
Based on CCTV footage of cameras on the streets, the victim’s car was tailed by her assailants from her law office in barangay Tipolo to the ambush site in C. Ouano Street in barangay Looc where she was bringing her law partner Briccio Boholst home about 7 p.m.
Boholst and another officemate Antonio Pino in the car were wounded in the shooting.
Natu-el said witnesses described suspicious-looking men who were seen hanging around outside the law firm in the past two weeks.
The victim had confided to her mother and law office partner that she had been receiving death threats over her strained relations with her husband.
Police are working on four theories for the murder, said Natuel.
One theory is related to the victim’s husband, who had filed for annulment of their marriage and involved a piece of conjugal land under dispute.
The second involves an angry male office employee who was fired by Alegre. Police said two other angles are “still confidential”.
Natu-el said police found out that Alegre had filed a complaint in 2013 against her estranged husband for violation of the special law on Violence Against Women and Children.
The bullet-ridden car is in the police crime laboratory pending investigation.
Police discovered that the gray BMW sedan Alegre was driving with plate number ABM 5635 was registered in the name of her law partner Boholst, former Mandaue City administrator.
“The OR (Official Receipt) and the CR (Certificate of Registration) is under the name of Atty. Boholst, but Atty. Alegre is paying for the car,” said Natu-el.
Natu-el said police believe the luxury car was loaned by the 35-year-old victim to Boholst but was actually paid for by Alegre’s husband, Ryan Michael.
Cebu Daily News learned from a source in the law office that the car belonged to Amelie but that she placed it in the name of Boholst so that the vehicle wouldn’t get caught up in litigation over the division of assets with her separated spouse.
Natu-el said police already took down the statements of the spouse Ryan and the dismissed employee last Saturday who were contacted by the Crime Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) last Saturday.
He said Ryan was cooperative.
“Gitug-an niya tanan. (He said everything.)”
Natu-el said he could not discuss more details or identify a mastermind since the case is still in progress.
“I cannot say who. We don’t want to solve the case fast just to show shallow results. I want to deepen the investigation. We are not just focusing on one angle, but there are more,” he said.
A parallel investigation is being made by the National Bureau of Investigation.
A day after Ryan’s father Ramon came forward in a press conference to deny any involvement of his son in the car ambush, police said they could provide him security.
Chief Supt. Prudencio “Tom” Bañas, chief of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7), said they are willing to provide security escorts to the Alegre family after the father voiced concern for his son Ryan Alegre’s safety.
Bañas also welcomed the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) entry into the case, saying it will improve chances to resolve the murder.
Based on footage of closed-circuit TV cameras taken at nearby A. Soriano Street, the assailants tailed Alegre’s car as they left the Boholst Ocañada-Alegre Herrera-Klepp and Remedio law firm in barangay Tipolo.
Natu-el said the assailants passed through M.C. Briones St., turned right to A. del Rosario St. and took another right turn on C.D. Seno.
They passed by Mandaue City Hall of Justice and turned left on W.O. Seno (road beside Hall of Justice and Cebu International Convention Center) to Ouano Avenue and straight toward A. Soriano Avenue.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
