An armed man wanted for theft died Tuesday in alleged shootout with pursuing policemen after evading search near a police-Commission on Elections checkpoint in San Rafael, Bulacan.
Provincial police director Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Divina identified the slain suspect as John Lawrence Garcia y Milla who died on the spot after a brief gunfight at a rice field at around 8 p.m. in Barangay Sampalok.
“A background check shows the suspect has existing arrest warrant dated Feb. 28, 2014 for attempted theft issued by Judge Romeo Carmelito C. Conge of the Municipal Trial Court of Pulilan,” Divina said.
Garcia was a resident of Barangay Virgen Delas Flores, Baliwag, Bulacan.
In his report, San Rafael police chief Supt. Orlando Castil Jr. said the cops on duty noticed and approached a man onboard his tricycle parked some 100 meters away from the checkpoint.
Before the cops could reach him, the man sped away. This prompted the motorcycle-riding cops to chase him.
“Sensing that he will be overtaken by our police personnel the suspect disembarked from his tricycle and tried to run in the open rice field and engaged our cops in a gunfight,” Castil said.
He said a caliber .45 pistol, magazine and live ammunition was recovered from the suspect.