1 killed, another badly hurt in neighbors’ brawl

Father and son were arrested after they reportedly engaged their neighbors into a bloody confrontation, killing one of them before dawn yesterday in Navotas.

Police identified the suspects as Jaime Padilla Sr. and his son and namesake, Jaime Padilla Jr., both of Sitio Puting Bato, Bgy. North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS), Navotas.

Police prober PO3 Rafael Espardero said that at around 3 a.m., Jaime Jr. and one Ernesto Torres Jr., both neighbors, engaged in a heated verbal tussle where Jaime stabbed Ernesto. Seeing the commotion, Ernesto’s older brother, Andy Torres, 26, came to his sibling’s rescue but was also stabbed several times by Jaime Jr., Espardero said. At this juncture, Jaime Sr. joined the fray. Armed with a bladed weapon, Jaime Sr. reportedly attacked the older Torres and stabbed him once in the back.

The Padillas escaped after the incident while the Torreses were rushed for treatment to the Tondo Medical Center. Ernesto was declared dead on arrival.

Follow-up operations by the barangay tanods resulted in the immediate arrest of Jaime Jr. With the capture of his son, Jaime Sr. surrendered to the authorities. – Pete Laude