Police hunt for killer switches to Cairns

By Callan Date
A FORMER Hallam man convicted of bashing his Endeavour Hills partner to death has been seen in Cairns.
Queensland Police launched a state-wide search for fugitive Apolonio Ramirez Serrano on Monday after the murderer withdrew $1000 from an automatic teller machine in the Top End.
Serrano, also known by the alias of Tony Serrano, was sentenced in his absence to 17 years’ jail with a non-parole period of 13 years last week.
He was convicted of killing his partner of three years, Milicia Trailovic, on or about 26 December, 2003.
However, the 66-year-old had skipped bail and was already on the run.
Ms Trailovic’s body has never been recovered.
Justice Stephen Kaye told the court Serrano is a callous and cowardly individual who tried to benefit financially from the murder of his partner.
“The murder for which the prisoner is to be sentenced is one which must be characterised as resulting from a spontaneous outburst of violence,” he told the court.
“The murder was constituted by a vicious beating comprising a number of blows with either a wooden chair or a wooden chair leg.
“Not content with murdering her, he then aggravated his wrongdoing by disposing of her remains, thereby depriving her of a decent burial, and depriving her friends and neighbours of the opportunity to bid her a last farewell,” Justice Kaye said.
Serrano was last seen at his Hallam address on 2 June.
Detectives believe Serrano hired a van from a Melbourne car hire business on 30 May.
He was then sighted in New South Wales a few days later when he was involved in a car crash.
However, NSW police took his details but released him, unaware that a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
The slip-up followed a Dandenong Police blunder that resulted in officers taking nine days to tell authorities that Serrano had not met his bail conditions.
A Victorian Police spokesman said they were working with Queensland Police in a bid to apprehend Serrano.
He said all relevant information had been passed on to Queensland detectives and they were fully cooperating with their interstate colleagues.