Two of three alleged armed robbers were killed by a Police patrol in La Vega after a smart taxi driver flashed his lights at a checkpoint on the Duarte Highway. The three had entered the taxi in Santiago and had bargained for a hire to take them to La Vega. However, during the ride the driver, Yonel Manuel Martinez Luna realized that they were armed to the teeth and when he saw a Police patrol, he flashed his lights and the Police gave pursuit.
In the shootout, they killed two of the three, while the third man ran off into a densely wooded area. El Nuevo Diario said that the taxi had its rear window and a tire shot out but the driver was not hit in the hail of bullets. Neither man has been identified since they were carrying no documents. The Police recovered two pistols and a homemade shotgun and several shells.