Korean in maid’s slay nabbed at NAIA

Alert operatives of the homicide section of the Manila Police District (MPD) nabbed a Korean national at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday, less than three hours after the suspect allegedly killed a maid during a robbery in Ermita, Manila.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong presented suspect Kwang Hyun Cho, 30, alias Daniel, of South Korea, to media yesterday.

Recovered from Kwang were part of the alleged loot, consisting of a pearl necklace, a lady’s Rolex wristwatch, P2,500 in cash and his passport and travel documents.

Bulaong said Kwang is the prime suspect in the slaying of Louela Caballero, 26, who was killed inside a unit of the Marina Residential Suite condominiums at the corner of M.H. del Pilar and Pedro Gil streets in Ermita.

She died from a gunshot wound in the left temple.

Caballero’s body was discovered by her Korean employer, Jin En Hi, a casino agent as she arrived at her unit past 5 a.m. yesterday.

Jin’s portable safety box containing travel documents, checks and jewelry was missing. Also taken were her car keys and the key to her vault.

A security guard told police that he saw Kwang hurriedly leaving the condo and driving away with Jin’s gray Volvo (XHJ-825).

The guard said he did not stop the suspect since he often saw him in the company of the tenant.

Wasting no time, MPD homicide section chief Senior Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr., together with follow-up unit chief Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, SPO4 Ed Paterno and PO3 Rommel del Rosario, rushed to the suspect’s known address, only to be told that their quarry had left for the airport.

The group proceeded to NAIA, where they surprised the suspect as he was preparing to board a flight to Korea at noon.

The suspect gave up peacefully.

During interrogation, Kwang, reportedly a South Korean soldier, admitted shooting the maid after he was caught leaving the unit with the safety box.

He said he left the 9 mm pistol and the safety box with a certain Richard Quinto, a Filipino tattoo artist.

The suspect said he bought the gun from Quinto for P50,000 when he arrived in the Philippines last Sept. 30.

Homicide operatives, led by Paterno, recovered Jin’s Volvo at the Ermita parking center.

Arevalo said the maid had allowed Kwang to enter the unit even without her employer since he often dropped by to visit . Police are now looking into reports that Kwang was with two Filipino companions when he entered the unit.

Charges of robbery with homicide and car theft were filed against the suspect.