QC prosecutor junks car theft with homicide raps vs Katrina Paula

The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday junked the car theft with homicide charges filed against former starlet Katrina Paula in connection with the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista last January. Paula (Angeline Samonte in real life) is reportedly the girlfriend of Raymond Dominguez, the alleged leader of the Dominguez carnapping syndicate and is the supposed mastermind in the Evangelista killing. In a six-page resolution, Assistant City Prosecutor Irene Resurrecion cited lack of probable cause as reason behind the junking of the case against Paula. “There is dearth of evidence to indict Katrina since there is nothing in the extrajudicial confession of one of the accused which would directly or indirectly establish that she participated in the crime either as a conspirator, accessory or an accomplice," Resurrecion said in her decision. Resurrecion further said that although Katrina may have been romantically involved with Raymond Dominguez, “it does not necessarily follow that she was involved in the activities of the accused Raymond." “Her mere presence in the picture when the transaction was made or planned or discussed by the group does not necessarily lead to an inference of occurrence with the criminal design to commit the crime," Resurrecion said. Aside from Paula, Resurrecion also dismissed the case against Julianne Crisostomo, girlfriend of Roger Dominguez, brother of Raymond and also tagged in the Evangelista case. The Dominguez brothers, as well as Jason Miranda and Alfred Mendiola, are now facing car theft with homicide charges before the sala of QC Regional Trial Court Branch 215 Presiding Judge Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla for allegedly stealing Evangelista’s Toyota Land Cruiser last Jan. 13 in Quezon City and killing him. The charred remains of Evangelista, who went with the suspects for a test drive, were found the following day in Nueva Ecija. In the same resolution, Resurrecion recommended the filing of charges against alleged gunman, Rolando Talban, and a certain Joel, allegedly the mechanic who was with Mendiola when they test drive Evangelista’s vehicle. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed the charges against Paula, Crisostomo, Talban and Joel for allegedly being co-conspirators in carrying out the plan to carjack Evangelista’s vehicle and eventually kill him. During the preliminary investigation of the case, Paula through her legal counsel, Raymund Palad, sought for the dismissal of her case since the CIDG failed to specifically establish her participation to the crime being imputed to her. Palad said the only information that the CIDG has on Paula is her romantic relationship with Raymond. In the case of Crisostomo, the investigating prosecutor ruled that “they found the evidence insufficient to indict her as co-conspirator in as much as she only drove off Alfred to SM Pampanga after the carnapping incident." - KBK, GMA News