CABANATUAN CITY – A 25-year-old suspect in robbing a convenience store and stabbing to death its manager in Barangay Mabini Homesite here was collared in Barangay Daang Bakal, Mandaluyong City on Tuesday, police said.
Col. Richard Caballero, director of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office, said the suspect, identified only as Vince, fell in a hot pursuit operation by operatives of the Cabanatuan City Police Station in coordination with Mandaluyong City police and National Capital Region Police Office.
Vince was tagged in robbing a 7-11 convenience store of over P300,000 cash and brutally killing its manager Ryan de Goma, 26, at about 10 a.m. on Aug. 9.
“The victim was inside the store’s stock room when an unidentified suspect arrived, locked the door, and proceeded to forcibly take a total of P320,984 cash. After committing the robbery, the suspect destroyed computer devices in the stock room by setting them on fire,” police reported.
The suspect, who turned out to be a former employee of the said store, escaped through a side access door.
“Tragically, De Goma, who sustained multiple stab wounds, was found dead at the scene,” said Caballero who extended condolences to the victim’s family.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect had a prior arrest for drug trafficking on Dec. 21, 2021, he said. Vince is also involved in online gambling and deeply in debt, investigation also showed.
Criminal complaints for robbery with homicide and arson were filed against the suspect who is now under the custody of the CCPS.
