MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested the sixth-most wanted man in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, who has been in hiding for eight years.

In his report to Chief Supt. Edgardo T. Ladao, Central Luzon police regional director, Senior Supt. Fernando H. Mendez Jr. identified the suspect arrested as Mauro dela Cru, 52 years old, a resident of Barangay Maasim, San Ildefonso.

Mendez said Dela Cruz was arrested by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Basilio R. Gabo Jr. the Regional Trial Court Branch 11 of Malolos City, Bulacan dated March 19, 2004.

Court records showed that suspect was sought for the killing of Marcelo Reyes Jr. on August 25, 2003 inside the victim’s residence in Lubao Street, Barangay San Juan, San Ildefonso.

Reyes was repeatedly hit with an iron bar in the face before being strangled to death with a nylon cord.

The suspect escaped after the incident but his white bull cap with the name Mauro dela Cruz was left at the crime scene. This led police to consider Dela Cruz as the principal suspect in the case.

During manhunt operation and follow up investigation, probers discovered a shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of slippers with blood stains inside the nipa hut of the suspect located at Sitio Grace Park, Barangay Pinaod, San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

Based on evidence found, a case for murder was filed against the Dela Cruz at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 11 in Malolos City and was docketed under Criminal Case Number 4269-M-2003.

On March 19, 2004, a warrant for Dela Cruz’s arrest was issued by the court but he had gone into hiding.

In year 2006, it was reported that the suspect was hiding somewhere in Rizal, Nueva Ecija. San Ildefonso police conducted an arrest operation at the place but failed to find the suspect. Continuous manhunt operations were conducted until he was finally arrested on January 8, 2012.

Dela Cruz is now detained in San Ildefonso Municipal Jail and will be turned over to the proper court as soon as documentation for his arrest is completed.