SERDANG: Friendly, easy-going and happy-go-lucky.
This was how Lance Corporal Valentino Mesa, who was murdered while on duty at the Pinggiran USJ police station, was described by family, friends and colleagues.
Met at the Serdang Hospital mortuary, they said he was the kind of person who would not have any enemy, and anyone who ever met him would like him in an instant.
Because of this, they were bewildered as to how he could have been killed so coldly.
Valentino, 29, was slashed and shot by an unknown assailant in the wee hours of the morning today.
His wife, only known as Rossie, was present at the mortuary and as seen being consoled by family and friends. There were some 30 relatives, colleagues and friends who were there.
Valentino’s 33-year-old brother-in-law, who only wanted to be known as Mohd Dilang, said his remains would be flown to Sarawak about 7.45pm today.
“He will be buried in his hometown in Lubuk Besar,” said Dilang, adding that family members were still in shock over the news.
Valentino’s friend, who wanted to be known only as Nick, said he was as shocked as everyone else.
Nick, who is also a policeman, but stationed in Kajang, came with his Sarawakian colleagues to pay their last respects to Valentino.
“As far as we are concerned, Valentino has no enemy. He is a friendly and easy-going, as well as a happy-go-lucky, person. It’s hard to accept the fact that such a decent man like him was murdered,” he said.
Valentino was found dead by his colleagues who had just returned from routine patrol at about 3.30am. He was found lying face down near the information counter of the police station.
Selangor police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor said police were still investigating the motive for the attack and didn’t rule out that there could be more than one assailant.
Valentino had been serving in the force for seven years.