Missing, hidden plates lead cops to 2 car thieves

Two suspected car thieves were killed before dawn Monday in a shootout with policemen whose suspicions were aroused by the vehicle they were driving.

The incident took place on the Mindanao Avenue underpass in Quezon City, at 1:20 a.m. after the still unidentified men shot at operatives of the Quezon City Police District’s Anti-Carnapping (QCPD-Ancar) unit, prompting the latter to fire back.

According to Ancar head Chief Insp. Richard Ang, his men were posted on Mindanao Avenue in teams when they noticed a Mitsubishi L300 van without license plate displayed in front. The back license plate, on the other hand, was covered by a piece of cloth.

The police tried to flag down the vehicle twice but they were ignored, prompting them to give chase.

When they reached the overpass, they were shot at, forcing them to fire back. The two men inside the L300 van died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Recovered from them were two handguns, and around the vehicle, at least 17 bullet casings.

A check later verified the Ancar team’s suspicions: The van with plate number TRD 340 was stolen on Sunday evening from a company based in Novaliches, Quezon City, which specializes in stage, audio and lighting setups.

The company logo and contact information were posted on the sides of the vehicle. The firm later confirmed the theft of the van with reporters.

According to QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit head Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo, the car theft suspects slain on Monday may be part of the gang which was busted last week for stealing an L300 van. Authorities had tailed four suspects from Quezon City to a compound in Pampanga province, where several other L300 vehicles, all believed to have been stolen, were recovered.

QCPD director Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao earlier announced the theft of several Mitsubishi L300 vehicles this month. According to him, the model’s engines were in high demand because these could be used in motorboats.

Marcelo said the QCPD was still working on identifying the two slain suspects, primarily through the recovered firearms and their cell phones. No other identification were found on them.–Jaymee T. Gamil, With Jinky Cabildo and Matthew Reysio-Cruz, trainees