STA. RITA, Pampanga – A police team led by the town’s cop chief killed two alleged notorious robbers in an encounter here last week.
Sr. Insp. Michael Masang-kay, officer-in-charge, identified one of the victims as Ariel Campo Mariveles of Sitio Pandan, Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac. He added that police investigators have yet to identify the other suspect who was riding in tandem with Mariveles when they were killed in a gun battle at Barangay San Vicente, here.
Police said the two were behind the snatching of jewellery on two separate incidents on August 18 and August 27 in Barangay San Jose, here.
Masangkay said the two suspects on board a Honda TMX 155 without license plates appeared to look for new victims when spotted just outside Sta. Rita.
Masangkay and Sr. Insp. John Bernard Tacdoy of the Pampanga police Intelligence branch set up a checkpoint in front of the barangay hall in San Vicente as the two entered Sta. Rita.
Masangkay said Mariveles, who was driving the motorcycle, and his companion tried to speed away from the checkpoint, prompting police to chase them. He added that the two suspects went to the direction of Barangay San Matias.
The police said Mariveles lost control of the motorcycle and they both fell in a canal. The two then fired at the police team and a gunbattle ensued where one of the suspects was instantly killed while the other was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
