An alleged member of a notorious robbery-hold-up group in northern Negros, who has pending arrest warrants for robbery with homicide, frustrated homicide and abduction, was arrested at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City Thursday.

Supt. Rosauro Francisco, Silay police chief, yesterday said the suspect, identified as Nestor Valentino,44, was about to be discharged from the hospital after his injuries were treated when he was arrested by the Silay police, in coordination with the Bacolod Police Station 2 operatives.

Francisco said Valentino was positively identified by Noel Espada, an overseer of Hacienda San Diego, as among the suspects who robbed him at his residence on July 9 last year, while his daughter, Jinky Mary, tagged him to be among her abductors.

Police investigations showed that about eight armed men entered the house of Espada and divested him of P25,000 in cash, P6,000 in gift checks, a digital video camera, an N95 cellular phone, a PNB passbook, a credit card, and a check book.

Farm workers Rodolfo Sobritodo and Erick Cordero, who responded to the incident, were shot by one of the suspects with a .45 caliber pistol. Sobritodo was killed, while Cordero survived although injured.

While withdrawing from the place, the armed suspects also took Jinky Mary as hostage but was later freed her unharmed, police records show.

Francisco said the two other respondents in the three criminal complaints identified as Joseph de la Torre and Charlie Seva, and six others are still at-large.

Police investigations also showed that the group of Seva that included his two brothers, Tata and Mama, was also linked to the series of robbery-hold-up incidents in the hinterlands of Victorias City, EB. Magalona, Silay City and neighboring areas.

The Seva brothers also have pending arrest warrants for the series of killings in Brgy. Canlusong,EB Magalona last year, police records show.* GPB

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