2 nabbed for teen's rape-slay in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines –  Two men were arrested yesterday for the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in San Juan on March 2.

Police Officer 2 Alexander de Dumo identified the suspects as tricycle driver Peter Jucariza, 30; and barker Jeffrey Election, 36. Election was the one who claimed to have found the body of Sheena Mae Robles at a vacant lot on March 6, four days after she was reported missing.

Concerned citizens reported that Jucariza was the last person they saw emerging from the vacant lot. The suspect was arrested when he went to the San Juan police station at around 5 a.m. yesterday to give Senior Police Officer 2 Gerardo Matias a message.

During interrogation, Jucariza said he accompanied Election in picking up Robles while walking along Haig street in Barangay Bagong Silang, Mandaluyong City and they brought her to the vacant lot on F. Blumentritt street in San Juan, where Election raped her. Police arrested Election at noon yesterday.

Jucariza told The STAR that Robles went with them because she knew Election, who “was the one who raped her, not me.”

Jucariza said after raping the victim, Election allegedly smashed her head with a big rock. He said Election was his drinking buddy and both of them were drunk when the crime was committed.

“She also sustained fractured bones in the forearm and broken ribs because he punched her. I made the admission because I cannot carry (this secret) in my conscience,” Jucariza said.

In a separate interview with The STAR, Election said he did not know the victim and does not drink.

The victim’s cousin, Annalyn Robles, 19, said the suspects deserve to be executed.

“I’m happy that they were arrested. If I have the way, I would kill them myself. What they have done to my cousin is inhumane. They can relieve their biological needs by renting (sex workers). They should have been salvaged. They do not deserve to live. Election was even claiming that he went to the vacant lot to relieve himself and then it turned out that he was the one who raped and brutally killed my cousin,” she said.