Manhunt widens on gas station hold-up men
The manhunt is on and the area being searched has been widened to get a group of four men responsible in early Monday evening's hold-up of three gas stations' earnings.
With an estimated P200,000 in reported total loot, operatives of Police Precinct 1 (PP1) lead the investigation with focus set on establishing the identities of the suspects and possible accomplices.
As of press time, PP1 has narrowed down its list though no specifics were disclosed. The most that an insider told The News Today was that the hold-up men are 'small-time' crime group members. In 'soonest' time and with the continued police operation and follow-up, authorities are hopeful of an arrest.
Yet slowing down the authorities was the seeming lack of cooperation of the gas station management. To date, no official amount has been released to police on the actual missing money. The P200,000 estimate came from the accounts of a gas station clerk who was interviewed by radio reporters minutes after the heist.
The hold-up apparently began in the city proper area when driver/collector Anthony Vizcayda made his rounds of the Shell gas stations owned by Filipino-Chinese Santos Family. PP1 gathered that two armed men barged inside the company van and ordered Vizcayda to continue with his rounds towards the gas station in Barangay East Timawa, Molo District.
Once in the area, two more men from a waiting taxi approached the male cashier and announced the hold-up. Over P14,000 was forcibly taken, coins included with the four then rushing towards the cab and fled towards the city. The keys to the company van were also taken by the suspects.
As soon as the victims called police for help, checkpoints were set up in all districts yet to no avail.