NBI on Davantes slay: Robbery gone out of hand

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) probe on the killing of advertising executive Kristelle “Kae” Davantes points to a robbery gone out of hand, an official said yesterday.

NBI deputy director Virgilio Mendez said the suspects appeared to be “small time” who chanced upon the victim, at least based on testimony of arrested suspect Samuel Decimo.

“These suspects are amateurs,” he said in an interview.

Mendez said they have yet to gather evidence to determine whether or not the group is a syndicate that had preyed on other victims.

“For now, we can’t tell yet if they are really a syndicate. Our investigation is still ongoing,” he explained.

The NBI official said Decimo was arrested for robbing the passengers of a jeepney in Molino, Cavite last Friday – proof the group preys even on ordinary victims.

Police had earlier said the killing of Davantes could possibly be “crime of passion.”

But Decimo, who was interviewed by reporters, claimed they only intended to rob Davantes but were forced to kill her when she saw their faces and license plate of their vehicle and realized she would be able to identify them.

He recalled that two companions strangled Davantes but failed to kill her. He confessed it was he who stabbed the victim to death.

Gang of five

A construction worker, Decimo said he was with four companions during the commission of the crime.

Decimo said they intended to rob Davantes when they noticed that she was driving in the same direction as they were, according to the narration of the suspect in custody.

They were able enter to subdivision where Davantes lived since they had a valid sticker for the gated community. They then followed Davantes to her home and, as she alighted from her car, accosted her. They took her away in her own car, gagged and tied her up, and killed her when they got to Silang, Cavite.

Davantes’ body was found last Sept. 7 in Silang. She was fully clothed and her body bore no signs of sexual abuse, police said.

Aside from P3,000 from the victim’s wallet, the suspects also sold Davantes’ gadgets.

Decimo also admitted that they tried to sell the victim’s car. However, when a prospect buyer showed up, the customer immediately backed out upon learning that it was a “hot car.”

The suspects then tried to burn the car. They poured diesel in the car’s interior and lit it, but the blaze was not enough to destroy the car, he said.

Davantes’ car was recovered last Sunday. Investigators said there was an attempt to torch the car.

One more heist

Prior to the arrest, the suspect was also allegedly involved in a robbery, the NBI told GMA-7 on Saturday. This incident took place after they had abducted and killed Davantes.

Mendez revealed that the other suspects were residents of the Cavite-Las Piñas area. The NBI identified the other suspects as Jojo, Jomar, Jorec, and Buzzer.

The NBI also recovered over the weekend a laptop computer and a mobile phone that Davantes’ siblings confirmed belonged to the victim.

A Toshiba laptop and a white Apple iPhone 5 were retrieved from a store in Alabang, Muntinlupa where Decimo and two others allegedly traded them for P11,000 worth of clothes.

Decimo said he joined the group so he could pay for hospital expenses of his wife, who recently gave birth. He publicly apologized to Davantes’ family as he vowed to cooperate with authorities in investigating the crime.

The government, Davantes’ family and private individuals have raised P2.5 million as a reward for anyone who could provide information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects. It is not clear yet who will get this reward.