TARGETED FAMILY Mark Joseph Reyes and his mother Jasmin—son and wife of alleged car theft ring leader Mark Lester “Mac” Reyes—lie dead in a taxicab Tuesday after being ambushed minutes after leaving the Quezon City Hall of Justice, where the young Reyes was on trial also for car theft. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
The son and wife of suspected car theft ring leader Mark Lester “Mac” Reyes were killed Tuesday after leaving a Quezon City courthouse. According to police, the killing was a brazen daytime ambush at a busy section of Quezon City.
Mark Joseph Reyes, who is himself on trial for car theft, and his mother Jasmin had just gotten into a taxi when two motorcycle-riding men shot them pointblank. The motorcycle was apparently tailing the cab just before noon, at the corner of Elliptical Road and Visayas Avenue.
The father and son, Mark Lester Reyes and Mark Joseph Reyes have been implicated in a string of car theft cases, including the seizure of the Toyota Fortuner of then Social Security System vice president Alfredo Villasanta in August 2011.
Mark Lester managed to escape with Villasanta’s vehicle while Mark Joseph was arrested in September 2013 while driving a stolen Honda Civic.
Cab driver Jun Gobis related to the police that Mark Joseph, Jasmin and another woman hailed his Valentino taxi inside the City Hall compound, at the back of the Quezon City Hall of Justice. The Reyeses sat in the back, while their female companion, then talking on her cell phone, took the front passenger seat. The three asked to be brought to Monumento in Caloocan City.
As the taxi reached the Kalayaan Avenue exit, the woman got off and told the Reyeses that she would just catch up with them later at Monumento. Upon reaching Elliptical Road, Gobis then halted the cab to talk to fellow taxi driver Rommel Dinulos. According to Gobis, Dinulos had earlier sent him a text message because he wanted to borrow some tools.
The two taxi drivers parked their cabs along the perimeter of Quezon Memorial Circle near Visayas Avenue. Dinulos was walking up to Gobis, who was still in the driver’s seat, when the gunmen stopped next to the Valentino cab and fired at the victims through the right glass window.
Dinulos then rushed back to his cab for cover while Gobis also jumped out of his taxi.
The gunmen, who both wore helmets, threatened to shoot a dump truck driver who honked his horn upon witnessing the incident. The gunmen were last seen heading toward North Avenue.
The Reyeses’ female companion in the cab, who turned out to be a cousin of the victims, later met with the police and confirmed the victims’ identities.
Quoting witnesses, Albano said the assailants used a black motorcycle with license plate TD 5174.
Mark Joseph and Jasmin died on the spot after being shot several times with a .45-cal. pistol, investigators said.
With report from Julie M. Aurelio
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