The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) announced on Thursday, July 13, that it has recovered one of the getaway vehicles used by the five suspects in the ambush of a photojournalist that left a minor dead and four individuals wounded in Barangay Masambong in the city last June 29.
The incident took place on Corumi Street near Gazan Street in Barangay Masambong at around 3:50 p.m. on June 29 where the victims - Joshua Abiad, 37, an online photographer of Remate; Renato Abiad, 41; and two minors with ages four, and eight - were approached and shot at by five men multiple times while they were inside their car with three other relatives.
Another victim, Jeffrey Cao, 47, also sustained a gunshot wound after he was hit by a stray bullet when the shooting happened.
The victims were rushed to a hospital for treatment. The four-year-old minor reportedly died on July 3.
The suspects fled towards Del Monte Avenue on board a Yamaha Mio motorcycle and a silver Toyota Vios.
QCPD director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III had earlier formed a Special Investigation Task Group that focused on the manhunt operation against the suspects.
The team was able to identify the suspects and track their escape route after the shooting incident through the help of several closed-circuit television footages.
According to the police report, a concerned citizen informed the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), led by Maj. Don Don Llapitan, that the silver Toyota Vios vehicle used by the suspects during the shooting incident was allegedly hidden in Purok 4, Brgy. San Anton, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.
Joint operatives of CIDU, led by its Chief, the QCPD Anti Carnapping Unit (DACU), and District Intelligence Division (DID) were officially dispatched to conduct a follow-up operation for the possible recovery of the said vehicle.
(Photo from QCPD/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The team arrived in Nueva Ecija at 7:40 p.m. on July 12 and found the vehicle parked at a courtyard in the said barangay.
The vehicle was brought to CIDU for investigation.
On Friday, June 7, one of the gunmen in the ambush, identified as Eduardo Almario Legazpi II, 31, was arrested by the police in his residence in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa.
They recovered a caliber .45 pistol, seven live ammunition, belt bag, and grenade hand frag M26A1 from him.
The suspect is facing charges for murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and illegal possession of firearms and explosives, police said.
“Ang team QCPD ay patuloy sa kanilang masusing pagiimbestiga para lubos na malutas ang kasong ito at mabigyan din ng hustisya ang pamilya ng mga biktima (The QCPD team continues its thorough investigation to solve the case and to bring justice to the victims,” Torre said.