Alleged carjacker falls in Tondo shootout

MANILA, Philippines - A man suspected of being a member of a gang led by reported Manila “car theft king” Ernesto Gutierrez Jr. was arrested following a shootout in Tondo, Manila yesterday morning.

Jack de los Santos, alias “Diego,” 33, was wounded and is under police guard at the Philippine General Hospital.

Chief Inspector Rayan Ador said his operatives caught five members of the group allegedly led by Gutierrez, also known as “JR Bait,” in the act of taking away a motorcycle from Melvin Reyes and his wife along Retiro street in Sampaloc.

The suspects shot at the approaching lawmen as they sped off on their motorcycles. De los Santos was left behind while his companions escaped.

Ador said De los Santos’ .45 caliber pistol, registered under a different name, may have been stolen. The motorcycle De los Santos used was stolen from Cesar Unson in Malate on Sept. 13, according to Ador.

Ador, recently named to head the Manila Police District (MPD) anti-carjacking section, said they tried to track down De los Santos’ alleged accomplices but failed.

“They were tipped off by their protectors and are now reportedly in hiding. I will not cease to hunt them down until the gang is neutralized,” Ador told The STAR.

Around three weeks ago, another alleged henchman of Gutierrez, Ryan Paul Lomboy, 23, was arrested by the intelligence operatives of the MPD. Five stolen motorcycles were seized from his safehouse.

Gutierrez reportedly enjoys the protection of some unscrupulous policemen and high-ranking government officials and is “untouchable” in Tondo.