2 guns-for-hire killed in Urdaneta shoot-out
URDANETA CITY–The leader and a member of a guns-for-hire syndicate operating in Pangasinan were killed during a shootout with the police who were serving the warrants of arrest before noon Thursday.
Killed was John Rey Andres, alias “Elias Salvador” and “Menu”, a native of Occidental Mindoro, allegedly the leader of the Almeron-Andres Group, which has a string of murder cases in Pangasinan, and Occidental Mindoro.
Andres’ companion, described to be 40-45 years old, remains unidentified.
Two other members of the gang managed to escape.
The suspects, armed with Caliber .38 revolver and a hand grenade, resisted arrest and exchanged fire with lawmen.
One of the suspects lobbed a hand grenade that wounded one unidentified civilian and a policeman, P03 Lamberto Ferrer. Both brought to the Eastern Pangasinan Medical Hospital.
The suspects died on arrival at the Don Amadeo Perez Memorial District Hospital.
The suspects clashed with combined elements of the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Provincial Police Office, intelligence operatives of Occidental Mindoro police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Team, Urdaneta City Police Station and the Provincial Public Safety Mobile Company.
Andres had warrants of arrest for four counts of murder at the Regional Trial Court Branches 45 and 46 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; and double murder with the use of unlicensed firearm before the RTC Branch 51 in Tayug.
He was suspected to have been involved in the killing of two unidentified farm caretakers in San Nicolas, Pangasinan and Mayor Leoncio Saldivar III in 2007; the municipal assessor of Asingan in 2008; one Samuel Ortillano, alias “Amay Bisaya” in Urdaneta City in 2009; Sonny Rimas of Tayug ; Nicanor Laroya of Binalonan; last year’s wounding of Herbie Zaragoza of Tayug; and several other shooting incidents in San Nicolas.
The police said the suspects are believed to have fled to Pangasinan to escape arrest in Occidental Mindoro.—LM
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