By Hannah Nicol
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III announced on Tuesday, July 11, the arrest of one of the gunmen in the shooting incident that left a photojournalist and three others wounded, and one minor dead in Quezon City last June 29.
Police identified the suspect as Eduardo Almario Legazpi II, 31, of Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
The shooting incident happened at around 5:30 p.m. on June 29 on Corumi Street in Barangay Masambong, Quezon City where the suspect and his four cohorts ambushed and fired shots towards the victims identified as Joshua Abiad, 37, an online photographer of Remate; Renato Abiad, 41; and two minors with ages four and eight;
It happened while the victims were on board a vehicle with their three other relatives near their house in the area.
(Photo from QCPD/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The other victim, Jeffery Cao, 47, was also hit by a stray bullet while he was walking along the said street.
The victims were rushed to a hospital for treatment. The four-year-old victim died last Monday, July 3.
Operatives from the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), together with the District Anti-Carnapping Unit (DACU), District Intelligence Division (DID), and District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) conducted a week-long manhunt operation to arrest the suspects.
According to the report, the team thoroughly examined closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages it had collected from the place where the Abiad family initially came from and the routes they took going to the crime scene.
A clear copy of an image of Legazpi, one of the gunmen, was also captured in the CCTV footage.
They were able to track the escape route of the suspects who left the crime scene on board a Toyota Vios and Yamaha Mio motorcycle.
Police said the suspects passed through the Quezon Avenue Skyway, and exited in San Pedro, Laguna, before heading to Magsaysay Road, Muntinlupa City.
Operatives coordinated with the Southern Police District and Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) during the manhunt operation.
Legazpi’s photo was shown to a confidential informant, who led the group to his residence in Barangay Ilaya, Alabang, Muntinlupa City which resulted in his arrest.
Police recovered a caliber .45 pistol, seven live ammunition, belt bag, and grenade hand frag M26A1 from the suspect.
Legazpi will face charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, and Republic Act 9516 or the Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives before the Muntinlupa Prosecutors Office, police said.
He will also be charged for murder and three counts of frustrated murder before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, it added.
The QCPD is conducting a continuous manhunt operation for the possible arrest of the suspect’s cohorts.