Caretaker kills live-in partner during spat

A 34-year-old caretaker allegedly killed his live-in partner with the help of two companions at the height of an argument last Dec. 22 and buried her body in a shallow grave near their house in Marikina City.

But a neighbor went to the police yesterday and reported that Arlyn Lacaba, 39, has been missing since her quarrel with her live-in partner, known only as Enrico Lacaba, three days before Christmas.

"At first, I thought that the witness was taking us for a ride," said Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Marikina City police chief. "But when we questioned him further he gave consistent answers so we decided to check his story."

Ramos led a police team to a compound in Santolan Street, La Colina Subdivision in Barangay Fortune and arrested the suspect and a companion, Cayetano Navidad, 19. The third suspect, Eric Garcia, 32, is at large.

Ramos said Lacaba and Navidad have confessed. The two led police to an area in the compound where they allegedly buried the victim’s body.

According to the police, the three men, who were looking after the compound, were having a drink on the evening of Dec. 22.

Lacaba and the woman have three children, aged 6, 4., and 2.

At the height of the drinking spree, Lacaba allegedly ordered Arlyn to wash their pile of dirty laundry. But Arlyn refused, angering Lacaba.

Ramos said Lacaba and his companions got hold of a screw driver and a kitchen knife and stabbed the woman, who screamed for help but got no attention from neighbors.

"According to our witness, he did not pay attention to the shouts for help of Arlyn thinking that it was only a lover’s spat," said Ramos.

But when the witness, whose name was withheld by the police, noticed that Arlyn had been missing and decided to seek help from the police to find her.

The witness was referred to Inspector Jose Salazar, head of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Marikina City police, who took his statement before proceeding to the compound to investigate.

During questioning, the two suspects claimed they buried Arlyn’s body in a shallow grave along with the screw driver they used in the crime.

Ramos said the body will be dug up once crime scene investigators arrive. "The suspects pointed to us the area where they buried the victim’s body’s. We are waiting for SOCO agents to record our actions so we can have an airtight case against the suspects," he said.

The police have cordoned off the area to preserve the evidence.