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Police nab suspect in 2016 Sta. Rosa, Laguna parricide case
After more than three years since the brutal death of his wife Pearl and one year-old son Denzel, Ricardo “Richard” Sta. Ana is behind bars.
Sta. Rosa Police operatives led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Junsay Orate cornered him in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City and effected his arrest by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by the San Pablo Regional Trial Court.
Authorities believe Sta. Ana masterminded the killing of his wife and son who were both hammered to death inside their home in Sta. Rosa by the two hired killers allegedly contracted by Sta Ana.
The Department of Justice, in 2016, dismissed the first case filed against Sta. Ana due to lack of evidence.
At that time, the Public Attorney’s Office or PAO served as his legal counsel.
But a breakthrough in the case came about when operatives under the command of Poilice Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Martinez arrested Bryan Avistado, the second hired killer, who, like suspect Ramoncito Gallo, pointed to Sta. Ana as the one who gave them P60,000 and a cellphone to take a video record of the killing of his wife.
Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Laguna District chief Daniel Daganzo and his men recovered CCTV footage that showed Sta. Ana meeting with suspects Gallo and Avistado entering a fast food restaurant in Alabang within one hour after the commission of the crime.
In their affidavit, both Gallo and Avisado said Sta. Ana paid the remaining balance for the “job” and retrieved the cellphone used to document the crime.
Laguna Provincial Director Police Colonel Eleazar Matta believes that Sta. Ana has the opportunity to prove his innocence in court now that he is under police custody.
For the family of the victims, this is the chance for them to finally have justice for their loss.
Sta. Ana underwent booking procedures at the Sta. Rosa Police Station on Friday evening for two counts of parricide. — BAP, GMA News
