Ecija lady trader visits dead pa, gets shot dead in cemetery

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – A 49-year-old businesswoman visited the cemetery here Monday night to pay respects to her dead father, only to end up dead herself after a lone gunman fired at her and her companion Monday night.

          Police Superintendent Wilson Santos II, Talavera police chief, identified 

The slain businesswoman as Julieta Santos of Barangay San Ricardo here. She died from gunshot wounds. Her companion,  Maricel Hipolito, 39, was wounded but survived the attack.

The motive for the attack is not yet known.

SPO2 Rodrigo Valdez, investigator of the Talavera police, said the shooting incident broke out at around 6:15 pm Monday inside the cemetery in Purok 7, Barangay San Ricardo here.

Valdez said Santos and Hipolito entered the cemetery to visit the tomb of the former’s father. The two were chatting inside the mausoleum when the still unidentified gunman surfaced  and fired at them then fled. 

          A bloodied Hipolito managed to cry out for help. She was brought to the nearby extension hospital of the Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC) while Santos was brought to the Eduardo L Joson Memorial Hospital (ELJMH) in Cabanatuan City. They were transferred to another hospital  but Santos was declared dead-on-arrival.

          A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) led by Chief Inspector Jebie Timario later recovered seven empty shells from a caliber 45 revolver.