People v. Eduardo Castro y Peralta

Summary

Eduardo Castro and Renerio Delos Reyes were convicted of robbery with homicide for the September 9, 2002 killing of store owner Ricardo Pacheco Benedicto during an armed robbery in Caloocan City. Four armed men robbed Benedicto's bakery supply store, taking approximately P100,000 in proceeds and fatally shooting the victim when he resisted. Store helper Emily Austria positively identified both appellants as participants in the crime through police line-up and court testimony. The Supreme Court affirmed their conviction and sentences of reclusion perpetua, applying the conspiracy doctrine that makes all participants in robbery liable for homicide committed during the crime, regardless of who fired the fatal shots. The Court rejected their alibi defense and awarded P125,000 total damages (civil indemnity, moral damages, and temperate damages) to the victim's heirs. The case demonstrates the application of criminal conspiracy principles in robbery with homicide cases and the precedence of positive identification over alibi defenses.