Cebu frat hitman linked to 10 killings arrested

Sun.Star: Aristotle Aves, one of the most wanted persons in Central Visayas, was arrested last night inside a vessel bound for Ormoc City in Leyte. Aves, 26, was traveling under the alias of Paul Medina. He is linked to at least 10 killings. The most recent was the drive-by shootings that killed three men and injured four others last Oct. 4. Aves' notoriety as the suspected hitman of the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity caused the Cebu City Government to up a P300,000 reward for any information that will lead to his capture. Mayor Tomas Osmeña had also offered to P20,000 for a "very clear picture" of Aves, who was elusive. The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) also set up Task Force Aves to track him down. The task force, led by Supt. Pablo Labra II, Senior Insp. George Ylanan and Chief Insp. Arnel Banzon, arrested Aves at 9:15 p.m. aboard Super Shuttle Ferry 5. The inter-island vessel was docked at Pier 8 in Mandaue City. The police officers found Aves sitting on his bunk. Aves tried to resist arrest. He ran and then tried to fight off the arresting team. In a press briefing at the CCPO in Camp Sotero Cabahug last night, Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comen-dador said Task Force Aves "applied adequate force" to subdue the suspect. When asked if the police was tipped by a civilian informant, Comen-dador, CCPO director, said they "used all means necessary to conduct the operation." The task force had leads on Aves' whereabouts but it did a "discreet surveillance" as the suspect is a fraternity member and had help in hiding from authorities. A companion of Aves was also arrested. But the police declined to give his identity pending verification. The arresting team also found a .45 pistol with 12 bullets, two magazines, and two medium packs and six sachets of shabu allegedly in Aves' possession. They were carrying two arrest warrants for Aves-one for murder, the other homicide. The homicide case has a P40,000 bail bond. Aves was still being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau last night. Comendador said Aves' arrest shows that "crime does not pay and long arm of the law will catch up with you." "This will also clear the air that police are sitting on Aves' cases," he said last night. Last Nov. 15, families and relatives of drive-by shooting victims appealed again to the police to double its effort in capturing Aves. Akrho regional president Richard Buscaino earlier said that Aves had long been suspended from the fraternity after his name was linked to a murder. He also said he had sent surrender feelers to Aves. - Sun.Star