Family driver slain in botched car theft

A 46-year-old family driver was shot dead by six suspected car thieves after he resisted their attempt to take the brand new vehicle he was driving early morning yesterday in Valenzuela City.

Angelito Maramag of 16-A Industrial street, Barangay Karuhatan, Valenzuela City succumbed to multiple bullet wounds in different parts of the body while he was being rushed to the Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.

Superintendent Jose Marcelo, the city police chief, said that Maramag was traversing Industrial Road aboard a Mitsubishi Space Gear wagon (WAS-845) with his passenger, 17-year-old girl, when their path was blocked by another car.

"The victim was about to convey the girl to her school," Marcelo said.

Six men, armed with handguns, alighted from a pink Besta Van without license plates and approached their intended target.

At gunpoint, one of the armed men ordered Maramag to open the car’s doors, but instead the driver maneuvered his vehicle and tried to evade the suspects.

But the victim failed to get away because of the narrow roads, Marcelo said.

The suspects took turns at the driver, but left unharmed his shocked passenger.

According to Marcelo, the suspects were only after the vehicle. The girl ran home from the crime scene.

"Maybe the gunmen needed another car for their get-away, and they took fancy on the victim’s vehicle," Marcelo said.

The suspects escaped with their getaway vehicle toward Malabon City. A police dragnet failed to catch up with the