MANILA – A notorious gun-for-hire suspect wanted for a string of murder cases was killed in an encounter in Pampanga province, the Police Regional Office-Central Luzon (PRO-3) said on Tuesday.
In a statement, PRO 3 Officer-in-Charge Brig. Gen. Benjamin Sembrano said the suspect, Jojo Fajardo, was killed during a pursuit operation in Barangay Cangatba, Porac town early Monday morning.
The operation stemmed from a report of two men onboard a motorcycle with a sidecar shooting dead a male victim in Arayat town on Sunday night.
Upon receiving the report, police stations conducted dragnet operations at around 1:50 a.m. Monday after an informant reported seeing a motorcycle matching the description of the one used in the crime.
The arresting officers tried to apprehend Fajardo, who was then driving the motorcycle. He fled toward a grassy area until the cops caught up with him, resulting in a shootout.
A .45 caliber pistol and a mobile phone was recovered from the scene.
Fajardo is wanted for three counts of murder and one count of robbery. He has been on the run for six years.
He was also involved in a spate of shooting incidents in Arayat between October 2017 and July this year. (PNA)