TARLAC City — A suspected member of a carnapping syndicate was killed while his three cohorts escaped during an encounter with policemen on Binauganan-Maliwalo road at dawn Wednesday.

City police chief Supt. Arnel E. Ramos said the encounter happened after the four motorcycle-riding gunmen took the motorcycle of Francisco Subang, 50, of Barangay Tibagan.    Subang said the suspects, on board two plateless motorcycles,  blocked him and his companion, Tess Cabinga, 46, along Juan Luna Street, Barangay Mabini around 12:10 a.m.

Two of the gunmen poked guns at the victims and took Subang’s motorcycle.

Twenty minutes later, responding members of the Provincial Public Safety Company, Provincial Intelligence Branch and Tarlac Criminal Investigation and Detection Team cornered the suspects along the Binauganan-Maliwalo road.

The gunmen reportedly opened fire on the approaching policemen who retaliated hitting one of the suspects fatally.

The three others, believed wounded, escaped.

Police recovered from the crime scene one Armscor caliber .38 revolver with five empty cartridge cases in its chamber; four empty cartridge cases for 9mm pistol; one fired cartridge case for caliber .45 handgun; Honda TMX motorcycle found to be registered under the names of Leo Angelo Azquete and Wilhelmina Azquete, of Purok 2, Balabay, Castellejos, Zambales and Subang’s Racal motorcycle.

As of press time, police coordinated with various hospitals and clinics for the arrest of the wounded suspects expected to seek medical help from them.