Cops arrest businessman who killed brother, woman in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines –  San Juan City police have arrested a businessman who killed his brother and a woman on Tuesday night, April 23.

San Juan City police chief Colonel Ariel Fulo said on Wednesday, April 24, that  Roberto Bañez, 59, was currently held at the San Juan police headquarters’ detention cell. 

He faced charges of double murder, frustrated murder, and violation of the election gun ban.

On Tuesday night, Bañez just got home when he shot his brother, Juanito, 73; and their family nurse, Rhea Antonio, 33.

Antonio was shot in the left foot but she was able to flee and got treatment at the nearest hospital.

Bañez then saw their massage therapist, Maria Theresa Artiquera, and shot her several times, killing her.

Fulo said San Juan police went to the Bañezes’ house in Barangay Little Baguio to seek the suspect’s peaceful surrender but Bañez did not budge despite the intervention of the barangay chairman.

Bañez, said to be a gun enthusiast, reportedly fired at the cops and holed up in the second floor of their house after he ran out of bullets. San Juan’s SWAT team used tear gas to flush him out and when he did not emerge from the house, cops went inside and saw him lying on the floor.

Recovered from the suspect were a 12 gauge shotgun, a caliber .45 pistol, and  a caliber .22 revolver.

Police were still investigating the motive for the killings, but Bañez was suspected of being under the influence of illegal drugs when he carried out the attacks.

Fulo said Bañez himself had told cops he was a former drug user. The police officer said the suspect once entered the drug rehabilitation program of the San Juan government. 

Fulo said it was the second time for Bañez to get involved in a shooting incident, as the suspect had shot someone 5 years ago. In 2014, Bañez shot his friend also in San Juan but the victim survived the incident. – Rappler.com