Police nab 2 suspects in Evangelista carjack-slay case

Police arrested on Thursday two suspects in the murder of car dealer Venson Evangelista. Special Investigation Task Group Police Chief Supt. Benito Estipona said they have arrested Alfred Mendiola and Batibot Parulan in an undisclosed area in Central Luzon Thursday night. Mendiola was supposedly the one with whom Evangelista transacted on the day he disappeared, while Parulan was allegedly had something to do with Evangelista's missing Toyota Land Cruiser. In a report by GMA News' "24 Oras", police said Mendiola did not resist arrest and, during a tactical interrogation Friday morning, promised to cooperate with authorities and to disclose everything he knows about the crime. A GMA News source who was present during the interrogation likewise said Mendiola revealed that Raymond Dominguez was involved in the crime. Mendiola reportedly said he turned over Evangelista's Land Cruiser to Raymond. Mendiola has yet to execute a sworn statement, and it has yet to be cleared why an otherwise simple carnapping incident ended in the burning of Evangelista. Raymond is likewise supposedly involved the death of Rejoice Rivera, a member of all-female dance group Baywalk Bodies, according to Mendiola. Mendiola has also expressed interest in becoming a star witness, and vowed to identify the people behind the grisly crime. Still at large , meanwhile, are brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez, the supposed masterminds of the notorious Dominguez carnapping syndicate; a certain Joel, a mechanic; and a certain Rolly, the supposed gunman. The police are also looking at arresting several other unidentified suspects, according to Estipona. He added they are expecting that a search warrant will be issued Friday night, through which they hope to recover vehicles, wallets, slippers and other items belonging to the victim. In a related development, the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI's) Death Investigation Division and the NBI Pampanga Provincial Office on Friday morning also arrested a certain Jomari Quizon in Guagua, Pampanga. Quizon was alleged to be the agent with whom Lozano transacted with for the Kia Carnival that Lozano was selling. Police said Quizon has expressed willingness to participate in the investigation. He was brough from Pampanga to the NBI main office in Manila for tactical interrogation. Evangelista's charred body was found in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija last week, making him the third victim of what police believe is a carjacking syndicate operating in Central Luzon. Like the other victims, Emerson Lozano and Ernani Sensil —the son of Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano and his driver, respectively— Evangelista was last seen accompanying a prospective car buyer for a test drive. The remains of the younger Lozano and Sensil were similarly burned and found in Pampanga and Tarlac, respectively. — TJD, GMANews.TV