THE Dagupan police believe a breakthrough in its investigation into the slaying of a nurse in Barangay Tambac on Thursday dawn may be imminent with the continuing interrogation of a security guard of the hospital where the victim was working.

The victim, Zharlene Yadao, 25, was reportedly shot and killed by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen early Thursday dawn while walking on her way home in Barangay Tambac after completing her duty hours at the Medical Centrum.

Zharlene, daughter of Noli and Susan Yadao, an anchor person at Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan based in this city, sustained one centimeter injury on her head and one gun shot wound from a caliber .38 that entered behind her left shoulder.

According to the victim’s mother, her daughter had received Monday text messages threatening to kill her and claimed she knows the sender of the message but declined to elaborate so as not to preempt police investigation.

The suspects took her cell phones but left the wallet that contained P2000.

On Friday afternoon, P/Supt. Mariano Luis Verzosa, chief of police, however, announced to the local media that a security guard of the hospital was interrogated and his inconsistent statements gave them reason to pursue him.

But the police chief was quick to point out that while the security guard is not yet formally a suspect, several circumstances attendant to his case tend to indicate that he may, indeed, know something about the incident.

He said the security guard was invited Thursday afternoon to the police station following a tip from a “concerned citizen” that the guard knew something about the slaying of Zharlene.

To validate their suspicion, Verzosa endorsed the security guard whom he did not identify, for paraffin-testing while his company-issued service firearm, a Caliber 38 revolver, would be subjected to ballistic examination.

When the guard was asked about the spent shell found in his gun, he told the police that he fired his hand gun in the air initially at 10 p.m. the night before and subsequently changed it to 3:00 a.m., an hour before Yadao was waylaid by the suspect on Tambac Road, just in front of the Dagupan City Water District.

Also, he originally claimed to have joined a drinking spree with six others in one of the canteens near the hospital from 2:00 a.m., then later maintained that he was on duty in his post when the incident happened.

Again, the security guard, Verzosa said, claimed that he turned over the issued firearm to the next guard on duty as soon as the latter reported for work but this was belied by the said guard.

Verzosa said the six other persons named by the security guard drinking with him admitted he was with them but that he was joining them in and out the whole time.

They, however, denied having heard a shot fired at about the time Zharlene was shot but admitted hearing a shot in the vicinity of the bridge in Tambac when a car was fired upon by an unknown person.

Earlier, Mrs. Yadao assailed the conduct of the unidentified police officerwho responded and called funeral parlor to pick up the bloodied victim instead of bringing her to the nearest hospital.

Verzosa, said he will have the police officer investigated as well. –LM

Governor condoles
with Yadao family

Governor Amado Espino, Jr expressed his condolences and sympathies to the parents of Zharlene.

Her mother, Susan Yadao, is a broadcaster of Aksyon Radyo.

He said he joins the community in praying for the early solution of the case after he heard the latest development in the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Dagupan police.

“What happened to her was brutal. This is murder kaya kung may suspect sila at may witness, dapat makuha agad ito,” he added.

The governor said “the whole provincial government and my family condole with your family.” (PIO).

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