Boy assaulted with air hose dies

MANILA, Philippines - A four-year-old boy playing at a gasoline station in Quezon City died Friday after an attendant allegedly forced an air compressor hose into the boy’s anus and filled his stomach with pressurized air, a police investigator said yesterday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Cristituto Zaldarriaga said they arrested Jeffry Namoco on suspicion that he stuck the hose into Jevy Millanila’s anus. Investigators are preparing to charge the attendant, who is in charge of the station’s car wash service, with homicide.

Millanila was playing at the gasoline station at the corner of Retiro and Kanlaon streets in Barangay Maharlika at past 1 p.m. Thursday and this allegedly annoyed Namoco, who reportedly scolded the child for playing near the air compressor hose. The victim’s older brother, Resty, then saw the boy fall to the ground.

Zaldarriaga said Namoco was seen with the air compressor hose in his hand, pointed towards the boy.

The boy’s parents rushed him to Sta. Teresita Hospital, where he died during treatment at past 2 a.m. Friday.

Zaldarriaga said initial investigation showed the boy’s stomach was pumped with air although he admitted the autopsy results have not yet been released.