Victim's bag leads to robber's arrest

CEBU, Philippines - A man was arrested after he was seen carrying the bag of a woman whom he allegedly stabbed and drowned in a small pool of water past 7 p.m. on Friday in Liloan town.

John Harvey Calan, 24, was arrested by the police in a follow-up operation after a witness saw him walking away from the area where Emarie Augusto, 25, of Barangay Yati, Liloan town, was found dead by residents.

Senior Police Officer 2  Jeyson Gayo, desk officer of Liloan Police Station, said that based on their investigation, a certain Edgardo Pepito and some other men who were having a drinking spree saw the suspect walking alone, but what caught their eye was the lady's bag that Calan was carrying.

Gayo said that according to Pepito, Calan even told them that someone was stabbed nearby. 

Calan then headed to the house of a certain Jacqueline Aparicio and handed her the bag. Calan asked Aparicio to keep the bag then went home.

The police were later told that Calan was earlier seen in the area.          

The cops questioned Aparicio who told them that the suspect entrusted the bag to her and went home after that.

The police recovered the bag that contained a red wallet, ATM card, a wrist watch, several perfumes, and a cell phone charger.  

The police went to Calan's house and asked his family of his whereabouts.

Senior Police Officer  4 Marcelino Servilla, a police operative, saw Calan hiding at the back of the house. Servilla later recovered a cellular phone and P470 cash in Calan's pocket.

The mother of the victim was later asked to head to the police station to identify the things recovered from the suspect's possession.

The mother told the police that the phone belonged to her daughter.

Initial investigation by the police revealed that the victim was stabbed and then drowned in muddy water which caused her death.

Charges for robbery with homicide are being prepared by the police to be filed against the suspect.  (FREEMAN)