ANGELES CITY- Another American resident of this city was shot in neighboring Mabalacat town Wednesday night, amid a growing number of cases of unsolved killings of foreigners here in the recent months.
Mabalacat police chief Supt. Elvis Diaz identified the latest victim as American William Wolcott, 62, a resident of Eldemar St. at Town and Country Homes subdivision in Barangay Pulong Bulo here.
The victim was reported to be still in critical condition as of late yesterday at the San Rafael Hospital in Mabalacat.
Diaz said Wolcott was with his live-in partner, Filipino-American Myra Mercado, 55, when one of two suspects shot him at the back of his head while they were buying “siopao” at a corner store at Camachile resettlement in Mabalacat at about 9:30 p.m. the other day.
Wolcott and Mercado had just visited a sick sister of the latter when the incident happened.
Wolcott was the third foreigner to fall prey to local criminals so far this year in the vicinity of the so-called Metro Angeles area. Last January, a German national was shot dead in Barangay Plaridel I, while last month, another American, Jerry Melton, 51, was also shot dead in Barangay Malabanias in the city.
Diaz said that the attackers of Wolcott were on foot when they approached their victim. “We do not know what gun was used, but we theorize it was a .38 caliber pistol because we found no slug at the crime scene,” he said.
He said probers are still facing a blank wall on the incident, but he theorized that the crime could be related to the victim’s romantic dalliances with girls working at Angeles’ red light district.
He noted that Mercado provided the police with letters she found in the compartment area of the victim’s motorcycle. The letters, which he said were apparently from bar girls, sought amounts ranging only from P300 to P500 from the victim.
Diaz noted that Mercado had been also staying in the US for the past 30 years when she and the victim met two years ago. He said the two established an internet café in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Angeles and had planned to marry.
“But Mercado left for the US briefly and arrived last October. It could be that the victim had met other girls during her absence and had been trailed by them since then,” Diaz said.
He said probers are looking into a love triangle angle in the crime.
Mabalacat police chief Supt. Elvis Diaz identified the latest victim as American William Wolcott, 62, a resident of Eldemar St. at Town and Country Homes subdivision in Barangay Pulong Bulo here.
The victim was reported to be still in critical condition as of late yesterday at the San Rafael Hospital in Mabalacat.
Diaz said Wolcott was with his live-in partner, Filipino-American Myra Mercado, 55, when one of two suspects shot him at the back of his head while they were buying “siopao” at a corner store at Camachile resettlement in Mabalacat at about 9:30 p.m. the other day.
Wolcott and Mercado had just visited a sick sister of the latter when the incident happened.
Wolcott was the third foreigner to fall prey to local criminals so far this year in the vicinity of the so-called Metro Angeles area. Last January, a German national was shot dead in Barangay Plaridel I, while last month, another American, Jerry Melton, 51, was also shot dead in Barangay Malabanias in the city.
Diaz said that the attackers of Wolcott were on foot when they approached their victim. “We do not know what gun was used, but we theorize it was a .38 caliber pistol because we found no slug at the crime scene,” he said.
He said probers are still facing a blank wall on the incident, but he theorized that the crime could be related to the victim’s romantic dalliances with girls working at Angeles’ red light district.
He noted that Mercado provided the police with letters she found in the compartment area of the victim’s motorcycle. The letters, which he said were apparently from bar girls, sought amounts ranging only from P300 to P500 from the victim.
Diaz noted that Mercado had been also staying in the US for the past 30 years when she and the victim met two years ago. He said the two established an internet café in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Angeles and had planned to marry.
“But Mercado left for the US briefly and arrived last October. It could be that the victim had met other girls during her absence and had been trailed by them since then,” Diaz said.
He said probers are looking into a love triangle angle in the crime.
