QC judge to handle Evangelista carjack-slay suspects' case

The trial of two suspects in the carjack-slay of car dealer Venson Evangelista was raffled off to a Quezon City judge even as the suspected gang leader in the case underwent preliminary investigation Friday. Radio dzBB's Manny Vargas reported the carnapping with homicide case against Alfred Mendiola and Batibot Parulan is now under Judge Luisa Padilla of the QC Regional Trial Court Branch 215. Mendiola and Parulan surrendered to the authorities last weekend, with Mendiola pointing to Raymond Dominguez as the mastermind of the crime. As this developed, Dominguez — who was arrested and detained at the Philippine National Police headquarters for the crime — underwent preliminary investigation at the Quezon City hall of justice Friday. Radio dzBB's Benjie Liwanag Jr. reported Dominguez was brought to and from the hall of justice under tight security. The case stemmed from the disappearance of car dealer Venson Evangelista last Jan. 13, while on a road test of a Land Cruiser he was selling. Evangelista's charred and brutalized body was found in Nueva Ecija the next day. — LBG/JE, GMANews.TV