Woman dies of heart attack upon seeing hubby's arrest

A 46-year-old woman died of a heart attack inside the Subangdaku police station after seeing her live-in partner behind bars.

Luzviminda dela Cerna of Tipolo, Mandaue City suffered chest pains while at the Subangdaku police station upon seeing her live-in partner Rico Reyes inside a detention cell. She was later on declared dead on arrival at the Mandaue District Hospital.

Reyes, 39, was arrested by the police after taxi driver Gary Navarro identified him as the one who destroyed the windshield of his taxi last Saturday.

Reyes and his younger brother Ronald were Navarro's passengers last Saturday. The three got into a heated argument on which route to take from Cebu City to Reyes' place in Tipolo, Mandaue. Upon reaching Tipolo, some of the bystanders sympathized with the Reyes brothers and started throwing stones at Navarro's taxi, hitting the windshield.

PO3 Ronnie Acar of the Subangdaku police station explained they arrested Reyes after Navarro identified him as the one who destroyed his windshield. Reyes, however, denied any involvement in the incident. "Ambot ngano ako ang gi-pick up sa kapulisan nga wala man gyud ko maghilabot ana. Wala man gyud klaro nga ebedensya," Reyes said.

After Reyes' arrest, his live-in partner Luzviminda went to the police station to ask the investigator about the details of the arrest. However, while she was talking to the police, Luzviminda fainted and was immediately brought to the Mandaue District Hospital but was declared dead.

Acar said that Navarro, upon knowing that Luzviminda died of a heart attack because of her partner's arrest, immediately fled, probably for fear that the woman's relatives will blame him for her death. - Ramil V. Ayuman