FHM model, 3 others murdered

A police officer assigned to the Traffic Management Group (TMG) in Camp Crame in Quezon City will be questioned in connection with the killing of four people, including a model for a male magazine, in Olongapo City Thursday.

Investigators said the identification card of Senior Police Officer 1 Leopoldo Vitug Jr. of the TMG was recovered inside the Toyota Vios car (ZAJ 203) owned by one of the victims, FHM magazine model Scarlet Garcia.

Authorities said they also discovered a police jacket with the TMG patch and insignia, which, they believed, belongs to the suspect. Ten spent shells from .45 pistol and 9mm handguns, lighter, used needle, and butane can were also gathered by forensics investigators inside the victims’ rented apartment at 52-B Acacia St., Barangay Gordon Heights.

Garcia, her partner George Castor Jr., Rachel Estacio and Von Mark Fondejas were found dead inside the apartment by authorities responding to a fire alarm before dawn Thursday. Their bodies bore bullet wounds to the head.

The bodies of Castor and Fondejas were found lying face down on the second floor receiving room while Garcia and Estacio were discovered inside the toilet on the third floor of the apartment building. The assailants also set the apartment on fire.

Residents reported that they saw smoke coming from the apartment around 3 a.m. Witnesses said two unidentified persons were seen rushing out of the apartment minutes after they heard shots.

Investigators said one of the suspects looted Garcia’s vehicle before fleeing on board a dark blue car.Police are looking into love triangle, business rivalry, robbery and vengeance as among the motives in the killing. Olongapo police, meanwhile, created Task Force Scarlet to be headed by Senior Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta, city police chief, to swiftly solve the case.

Garcia was also a member of sexy singing group Viva Hot Babes.

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