NBI nabs Cavite twin-slay suspects

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested three of four men tagged in the gruesome killing of a wife of a US Air Force serviceman and their three-year-old daughter in Cavite eight days ago.

Arrested were the alleged mastermind Mark Leo Molina, 21, of LRT Site, Barangay J. de Jesus, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite; his cousin Michael Molina; and Sherwin Kenneth Dimasalang, all of them members of a street fraternity and suspected drug users.

"Once again, we witnessed crime perpetrated by people under the influence of illegal drugs," said NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco as he presented the arrested suspects to mediamen at the NBI headquarters in Manila yesterday.

Quoting reports from NBI-Cavite District Office, Wycoco said the suspects were positively identified by witnesses among the four men who were seen outside the house of the victims Annabelle Zuñiga, 23 and her daughter Franchez Erika, 3.

The bodies of the victims were found dead inside their house at Block 10, Lot 2, LRT Site on the night of June 1. Annabelle’s husband was in the US working in the air force.

Investigators said Annabelle was found naked with her hands bound and her mouth stuffed with a portion of a blanket. The killers wrapped the child in a blanket after she was strangled to death with a cord.

After the incident, Annabelle’s father sought the help of the NBI, which contacted neighbors and relatives of the victims to help identify the assailants.

During investigation, NBI agents found out the names suspects, one of whom was reportedly obsessed with Annabelle.

"At the time, no one was willing to come out in the open to testify against the suspects for fear of reprisal," said Danielito Lalusis, chief of the NBI Cavite Office.

Lalusis said they got a break when someone approached the NBI agents and told them he saw Mark Molina jumping over the concrete fence of the victims’ house.

NBI agents swooped down on Molina’s house, resulting in the arrest of Molina and his cohorts.

During the raid, NBI agents found Annabelle’s Nokia 3310 cellular phone in the possession of Mark Molina.

Lalusis said charges of robbery with double homicide and frustrated rape would be filed against the suspects.

"As we investigated, we saw that Annabelle’s underwear was lowered to her right feet indicating there was an attempt to rape her. The rape was not consummated," Lalusis added.

Wycoco said the fourth suspect, a certain Jojo Dimasalang, is now the subject of a manhunt by the NBI agents.