CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Two policemen who shot each other and two others were killed, while another man was arrested for allegedly also joining the shooting spree in a road rage case last Saturday in Sitio Pingal, Barangay Sta. Lucia in Capas, Tarlac.
A report received yesterday at Camp Olivas identified the slain cops as PO3 Vincent Lugtu, 33, who was assigned at the information office at Camp Olivas, and SPO2 Jaycon Garcia, 45, who was assigned at the Mabalacat City police. Lugtu´s elder brother Clint Donald Lugtu, and bystander Renato Mercado, a resident of Sta. Lucia in Capas were the other fatalities.
The report said Garcia and his companion Bernie Hernandez, 38, were on board a dump truck on their way to Sitio Suarez when they were blocked by a car driven by Clint Donald Lugtu, who was with his younger brother, a cop who was in civilian clothes. Witnesses said they saw Garcia alight from the truck and a heated argument ensued between Garcia and the elder Lugtu.
Lugtu reportedly accused Garcia of dangerously overtaking him earlier.
Witnesses said that during the heated verbal exchange, the younger Lugtu, who had his service pistol, suddenly shot Garcia who, however, was able to fire back. The exchange of fire accidentally hit bystander Mercado.
The report said Garcia´s companion Hernandez joined the firefight and shot the Lugtu brothers. He then took the firearm of the cops and ran away on foot.
Hernandez, however, was arrested by Capas cops last Sunday in the house of one Marvin Mariano in Barangay Balutu, Concepcion in Tarlac, He voluntarily surrendered one .45 pistol which turned out to be the service pistol of Garcia.
