Errand boy,14, suspect in rape-slay of a girl,15

CEBU, Philippines - The suspect in the rape-slay of a 15-year-old high school student in Barangay Maslog, Tabogon in northern town was arrested by the police Sunday evening in a follow-up investigation.

The knife which was found about three meters away from the house of the victim, Jay Solano, during the ocular inspection has led the police to trace the 14-year-old suspect who is reportedly treated like a son of  the girl’s parents.

The suspect, an errand boy of  the family, and his eight-year-old sister have been living with the victim’s family for three years after their father was imprisoned.

Their mother is an Overseas Filipino Worker in Saudi Arabia.

Tabogon police chief, Insp. Welther Grapa, said the knife was identified by the victim’s parents as theirs which prompted the police to subject the suspect for questioning.

“At first daghan kaayo siya ug estorya nga dili mi motuo pero kadtong ako na siyang giingnan nga ako siyang matabangan nikalma na siya unya miangkon,” Grapa told The FREEMAN in a phone interview.

The suspect admitted the crime and confessed that he liked the girl.

Grapa added that the suspect was under the influence of solvent during the commission of  the crime.

“Niangkon siya nga iyang gidunggab  pero wala na siya kahinumdum kung iya bang nahilabtan kay bangog na kuno siya adtong higayuna,” Grapa said.

Police are still waiting for the autopsy result to determine if  Solano was raped or not. They are also waiting for the birth certificate of the suspect to check his real age.

Further information gathered by the police revealed that Solano treated the suspect as his own brother and in fact, the victim would always ask him to meet her at the corner every time she went home late.

“Mao kuno ni tigsugat niya sa eskina unya kay amigo na lagi kaayo basin giagbayan ni unya giti-onan unya giguyod sa daplin,” Grapa said adding that they are to determine if suspect has cohorts.

Solano was found dead holding her underwear which she covered her stab wound in the chest Saturday afternoon at the barangay’s public cemetery, some 200 meters away from their house. (FREEMAN)