Evidence links pal to murder

Cebu - The Mandaue City Police yesterday formally arrested the ‘close friend’ of a call center employee who was found murdered last week inside a hotel room.

Intelligence and Detective Management Branch agents arrested Jonnelle Enfectana at the Mandaue City Hospital where she and her mother had been confined after they collapsed during investigation the other day.

Enfectana, 26, who hails from Tacloban City, was a close friend and co-worker of Lynn Vi Ebarita at the Teletech Call Center.

Enfectana’s arrest came after the police were able to recover the victim’s wallet, which was found hidden under a pile of wood inside the premises of the house of Ricardo Go at Floremer St., barangay Banilad, Mandaue City yesterday noon were the suspect rents a room.

The wallet recovered contained several identification cards of Ebarita and a receipt that she was able to buy a cellular phone last January 17.

After all the evidence were gathered and documented, the police then proceeded to the hospital at around to 2 pm to arrest Enfectana, but it was stalled after the blood pressure of the suspect’s mother shot up.

When the mother’s blood pressure stabilized, the police were again stalled when Supt. Bernard Tamboaon stopped them from doing so and he went inside another room of the hospital and talked to the suspect’s lawyer, Michael Enriquez.

The police waited for another two hours before the suspect was brought to the headquarters.

Enriquez said that that there was no negotiation between him and the police official and the reason for the delay was that he objected to a search of his client’s personal belongings.

Enriquez explained his objection saying that there was no warrant for such.

The police official was later allowed to check the belongings in the presence of the lawyer.

An aunt of the suspect also blocked the police during their first attempt to haul Enfectana to the station.

She was eventually brought to the MCPO headquarters at 5:40 p.m.

 IDMB chief Eddie Recamara said with the discovery of the personal belongings of the victim, they believe they have enough evidence to pin the suspect.

Recamara said that they have also gathered other evidence, which would be presented in court during the trial.

He also said that there was no need for a warrant of arrest against the suspect and has considered the arrest as a “perfect hot pursuit” at it started from the discovery of the crime until they were able to pin down the suspect through the vital evidence that they got.

However, Enfectana’s lawyer said that it was a “warrantless arrest” and he plans to contest it in court.

Recamara stressed that there was also no need for them to secure a search warrant as there was an approval coming from the owner of the house where the suspect rented a room.

Although the suspect earlier confessed of her participation during a free and voluntary statement to police investigators, but the lawyer retracted his client’s earlier admission and told reporters that Enfectana had no participation in the death of Ebarita.

However, Recamara said that the suspect’s participation in the crime is considered as principal by inducement as it was pre-meditated and well planned.

A murder case will be filed against the suspect today.

Supt. Tamboaon yesterday said that they have been coordinating with the Criminal Intelligence and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 to verify the identity of the two other suspects, who have been named as cohorts.

Tamboaon said that although Enfectana only mentioned two male suspects but witnesses said that there could have been three.

Police said, Enfectana during her confession, claimed that Ebarita and the suspects were having a “good time” inside the hotel room.

Police also said that the two suspects, who are still at large, are from Samar, but it was Enfectana who arranged that they meet the victim at the hotel.

The police are also still trying to trace the identity of the woman, who registered at the front desk of the Nikkei Garden Hotel where Ebarita’s body was found last Thursday night.

The victim’s naked body was stuffed inside two trash bags and bore 24 stab wounds. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)