Suspect in woman’s murder shot dead
What was supposed to be the 41st birthday of Michael Lendio turned into his last day after he was gunned down by two unidentified assailants beside J.M. Basa Street in Barangay San Nicolas Proper, Cebu City, past 9 p.m. Monday.
A witness said the victim was drinking with two others when the assailants arrived onboard a motorcycle. The driver and his passenger both pulled out their guns and shot the victim several times before they both sped off.
The victim was already dead by the time paramedics arrived, investigators recovered six spent 9mm cal. shells, one spent .45 cal. shell, and a deformed slug from the crime scene.
Cebu City Police Office director Senior Superintendent Joel Doria confirmed that Lendio was among the suspects in the killing of Annalou Llaguno, who was linked to an alleged top drug lord, last September 30.
He said Lendio was identified through a cartographic sketch drawn with the help of witnesses in Llaguno’s shooting.
“’Yung witness nga nagbigay sa atin nitong sketch positively identified niya talaga ang taong ‘to (Lendio),” he told reporters.
Doria believes Lendio may have been silenced by his accomplices in the crime to prevent him from possibly revealing information, considering that there are two other assailants in the killing of Llaguno still being sought. Doria said the two have already been identified; one has a pending arrest warrant for murder and homicide charge.
“May possibility na inunahan tayo ng mga kasama nito,” he said.
He added that they received information that prior to his death Lendio was being paid to escort drug deliveries.
Lendio was allegedly the one who finished off Llaguno, who was said to be the former partner of suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. Witnesses allegedly identified Lendio since he was not wearing a bonnet during the attack.
Lendio’s death came on the same day Espinosa was arrested in Abu Dhabi.
Police, however, are still taking into account all the possible motives behind the incident and are now searching for the two companions of Lendio, reportedly a certain “Dennis” and “Alex”, who were drinking with him when he was shot.