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Facebook tags serial killer suspect; ‘NPA’ ruse leads to arrest

By Jun Malig
Central Luzon Desk

Filed Under: Crime and Law and Justice, Murder, Infotech

ANGELES CITY—His Facebook account gave him away.

Computer technician Mark Dizon, 28, the lone suspect in the killing of three foreigners and six Filipinos here, was identified through his photos in the social networking site Facebook by a niece of Janet Andrenada-Mitchell, one of the murder victims.

Dizon thought he was about to meet communist rebels on Tuesday when he surfaced in San Fernando City in La Union province, police said. Law enforcers quickly apprehended Dizon after they posed as New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to lure him, said Chief Supt. Arturo Cacdac Jr., Central Luzon police director.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said Dizon had felt he could no longer live a normal life as a fugitive. “He decided that he would just join the NPA, thinking that the rebel group would accept him,” he said.

“We are happy this was solved with the help of the citizenry and technology because he was identified quickly,” Pamintuan added. “I believe he knew what he was doing, because it was well-planned. It was good that we caught him because he would have struck again.”

“Dizon thought he was meeting with rebels. That’s why he agreed to appear and talk to his father [Troadio Dizon Jr.],” Cacdac said during a news conference at Camp Tomas Pepito on Wednesday.

“But right after shaking the hand of Col. Elvis Diaz, leader of the arresting team, he must have realized that they were police officers and pulled out a .32 cal. pistol. Officers promptly subdued him.”

Other murders

Dizon is the lone suspect in the murder of American Albert Mitchell, 70, former commander of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 2485; his wife Janet Andrenada-Mitchell, 53; and their helpers Isabel Fajardo, 29, Marissa Prado, 29, and Yulberto Catli in Hensonville Court subdivision, Barangay Malabanias on July 22.

He is also the suspect in the murder of Briton James Bolton Porter, 51, and his live-in partner Melissa Madarang, 22 in Sta. Maria subdivision, Barangay Balibago on July 16; and Canadian Geoffrey Allan Bennun, 60, and his live-in partner Abegail Helina, 20, inside their house at the Clarkville Compound, Barangay Anunas on July 12.

“He had an account on Facebook and two witnesses positively identified him,” Senior Supt. Danilo Bautista, Angeles City police chief, told Agence France Presse. “We have an airtight case against him. I believe it is ironclad.”

Closed account

Bautista said Dizon apparently closed his Facebook account after sensing police were on his trail, but two witnesses had already positively identified him using his profile picture.

Pamintuan paraded a handcuffed Dizon before press photographers Wednesday and said murder charges had been filed against him.

The suspect stayed silent and tried to hide behind his police escort as he was led away.

Bautista said Dizon never intended to turn himself in. “He planned to join rebel groups. He even fought the arresting officer and pulled a gun on them. He was arrested – he did not surrender,” the police chief said.

Reynaldo Malig, head of the citizens’ group Tropang Crime Watch, had convinced Dizon’s father to help in arresting the suspect.

“Mark was afraid to surrender to the police because he was told by some people that they would finish him off,” Malig said.

Father-son meet

The suspect’s father accompanied the 16-member arresting team to San Fernando City on Tuesday.

Through text messages, the father asked his son to meet him and the police officers who posed as rebels. Dizon showed up in front of the plaza in San Fernando at around 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday.

During a news briefing, police officials displayed three laptops, a digital camera, several cellular phones and other gadgets allegedly stolen by Dizon.

Police said some of the gadgets were already identified by relatives of the victims as among those stolen from the crime scene.

Dizon allegedly befriended the victims first to gain their trust, so they allowed him to go into their homes freely on the pretense of fixing their computers, Bautista said.

He then allegedly attacked them using a 9-mm pistol, and robbed them of valuables, which he then pawned.

Expats happy

Capt. David Mason of VFW Post 2485 said Americans living in this city welcomed the news of Dizon’s arrest.

“All American expats here are very happy that the suspect is now in jail and glad that no one was injured when police arrested him. It was a professional job by the Angeles City police,” Mason said.

The VFW officer said his group believed Dizon was responsible for all three crimes.

“We believe there is only one suspect. There’s a video footage (from CCTV) showing him (Dizon) leaving the Oasis compound,” he added. With a report from Agence France-Presse

from: inquirer.net