Suspect in Sesbreño wife’s ambush falls
The man who allegedly gunned down three people including a lawyer’s wife in Talisay City recently was arrested after he shot it out with the police at 8:30 am yesterday.
Tommy Labura Echavez, of Lagtang, Talisay City is currently at the hospital for a gunshot wound on his face.
Talisay City policemen who engaged in a shootout with Echavez recovered from his possession a caliber .45 pistol with two live ammunitions, two cellular phones and a wallet.
During the clearing operation, police further recovered a hand grenade on the same spot where the suspect fell after he was shot.
Prior to the incident, the Talisay City Police received a tip from someone who revealed the suspect’s whereabouts yesterday.
A team armed with a warrant of arrest for illegal possession of firearms issued by Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 against Echavez went to the area.
Supt. Eddie Recamara, the station’s chief, said they identified Echavez as the gunman two days after the ambush that happened in sitio Rabaya, Barangay Cansojong last Feb. 1.
Recamara declined to name the suspect’s cohort and the mastermind of the ambush. Probable motive of the ambush was the conflict over a lot lawyer Raul Sesbreño and his family own in Barangay Lawaan.
Motorcycle-riding men killed Virginia, Sebreño’s wife; Joshua Young, the family driver, and Soledad Epanto.
Police immediately cordoned the area in sitio Cadicay, Barangay Lawaan 3, where the suspect was spotted yesterday.
Recamara said the suspect noticed this so he jumped off the window while shooting at the police particularly at SPO1 Mikie Espina..
Espina fired back at the suspect and grazed a part of his body. Upon landing on the ground, the suspect fired another shot at Espina.
PO3 Ferdinand Pablo, who was then nearest to the suspect, also fired a shot and hit Echavez on the left face, the bullet exiting on the right temple.
The suspect was taken to the Talisay City District Hospital and was later transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Recamara revealed that Echavez is a gun-for-hire and also has a case for illegal possession of firearms in Pardo Police Station in Cebu City. The victims were reportedly afraid to file a case against him.
A case for murder will be filed against Echavez and his cohort, Recamara further said.
Aside from Espina and Pablo, others who were part of the team were Inspectors Rio Hugo Ipong and Ricardo Echavez, SPO1S Edgar Causon, Isaias Cabuenas, and Benjamin Sebellita. Prior to last February 1’s shooting, Sesbreño’s nephew recalled that one of the occupants of the lot where the demolition took place threatened Raul and his family, saying not one of them will survive.
On the day of the incident, the family just came from the demolition site. The lawyer decided to go home while the three decided to go to Cebu City. Then they were ambushed.