Carjack gang leader Roger Dominguez arrested in QC

UPDATED 5:50 p.m. - Driving against the flow of traffic in a one-way street in Quezon City led to the arrest of Roger Dominguez, the co-leader of a notorious carjacking gang linked to two high-profile murders. Roger is the brother of Raymond Dominguez. Both are considered leaders of a carjack gang linked to at least two high-profile killings in January. Quezon City police director Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele said Roger was arrested on Thursday noon while driving a sport-utility vehicle that went the wrong way along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. Mantele said records of the District Anti-Carnapping Unit (DACU) showed that DACU operatives flagged down an Outlander SUV going against the flow of traffic along Timog Avenue. Mantele said Roger allegedly introduced himself to arresting officers as a policeman. "Nagpakilalang pulis, so ginawa natin dinala sa HQ (The SUV's driver claimed to be a policeman so we brought him to our headquarters for questioning)," Mantele said. "Ang initial violation ang counterflowing, pagkatapos pagpapakilala ng pulis ... During interrogation it so happened siya si Roger Dominguez," Mantele said in an interview on dzBB radio. (He was accosted at first for driving against the flow of traffic, then he tried to introduce himself as a policeman. During interrogation he turned out to be Roger Dominguez.) When the police asked for identification, Roger gave them his driver's license bearing his real name, Roger Santos Dominguez.

Car theft gang co-leader Roger Dominguez was arrested for going against the traffic while on board this Mistubishi Outalnder. Mark D. Merueñas

While there is no legal basis at this time to link Roger to last January's carjack-slays, Roger will still be detained for the counter-flow violation and for usurpation of authority for claiming to be a policeman. The police are also checking Roger's criminal records, the report said. The police are also checking the records of the Mitsubishi Outlander sports utility vehicle (with plate number ZTF 944) that Roger was driving to see if it was stolen, radio dzBB's Rowena Salvacion said. Carjack-slay The Dominguez gang was tagged in the carjack-slays of car dealer Venson Evangelista on January 13 and that of Emerson Lozano and Lozano's driver Ernani Sencil on January 12. Raymond had been charged for Evangelista's carjack-slay, after he was tagged by gang member Alfredo Mendiola. Laptop, gun seized After Roger's arrest, the police proceeded to a hotel in Mandaluyong City and seized Dominguez's laptop and 9-millimeter pistol in a follow-up operation. "Sa Sogo (hotel), nakuha namin ang 9-mm pistol and laptop. Ang 9-mm noong vinerify natin sa Firearms and Explosives Office, ang may-ari isang Victoriano pero ang source ng baril ay si Raymond Santos Dominguez, so ang owner ay si Raymond Dominguez," Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said in an interview on dzRH radio. (At the motel, we found a 9-mm pistol and a laptop. When we verified the 9-mm pistol's ownership, the owner was one Victoriano but the source was Raymond Santos Dominguez, Roger's brother.) Bartolome said more follow-up operations are being conducted but he did not provide details. He also said Roger will be turned over to a special task force looking into the carjack-slays of Evangelista, Lozano, and Sencil. Bartolome said they learned about Dominguez's laptop and 9-mm pistol after Jason Miranda, who was arrested with Dominguez, narrated that he had slept at the Sogo hotel at Kalentong in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday. He said Miranda recalled seeing a 9-mm pistol and a laptop there. No bail Bartolome said the next step is now to turn Dominguez over to a task force handling the Evangelista and Lozano-Sencil cases. He said there will be no chance for Dominguez to post bail, at least for Thursday night, because they found an active warrant canceling his bail bond. "Meron siyang arrest warrant issued by the Malolos City RTC for the complex crime of carnapping with homicide. Ang bail pina-cancel ng RTC. Ito ang basis natin kaya hold natin siya," he said. (He has an arrest warrant from the Malolos City RTC for carnapping with homicide, and the court canceled his bail. This is our basis for keeping him detained.) He indicated that they will present Dominguez to the Malolos RTC that issued the warrant on Friday. Only then will they know if Dominguez will be allowed to post bail, he said. – VVP, GMA News