DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 4 January)—A 52-year-old man who stabbed dead two women, one of them a 15-year-old minor, inside his boarding house here this morning was arrested during a hot pursuit operation noon today in neighboring Digos City, police said.
Suspect Marcial M. Gonzales in police custody. Photo courtesy of DCPO
Police identified the suspect as Marcial M. Gonzales, 52.
Captain Hazel Tuazon, spokesperson for Davao City Police Office (DCPO), told MindaNews that Gonzales stabbed the two women, who were renting a room in the house that he was also renting at Purok 1 in Barangay 2-A, because he was annoyed by the noisy tenants who would come home intoxicated and on some days, with their boyfriends.
The victims, Tuazon said, were asleep when a drunk Gonzales barged into the women’s room and stabbed them.
Their last altercation was reportedly on Christmas Day.
Police identified the victims as Cora O. Andagit, 20, and her minor companion, both residents of Purok 10, Barangay Salumay in Marilog District here.
Based on the testimony of a witness, the suspect, a laborer who is a resident of Palo Singko in Barangay Kapatagan in Digos City, suddenly went outside his boarding house around 6:30 a.m. and shouted: “Panawag na mo og 911 kay gi patay na nako ang duha ka babae diha” (Call 911 because I just killed the two women there).
Tuazon said that the witness immediately reported the incident to authorities.
In a report released by the DCPO, responding authorities found the victims lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds on different parts of their bodies.
Tuazon said personnel from the Davao City Central 911 tried to help the victims but they had no pulse and were no longer breathing due to loss of blood.
She said the personnel of the San Pedro Police Station notified Digos City Police Station about the incident since the suspect resided within their area of jurisdiction. Shortly thereafter, a dragnet operation was conducted, resulting in the arrest of Gonzales at the Kapatagan Bus Terminal in Digos.
Authorities recovered from the crime scene a blue backpack containing, among others, a wrist watch, silver necklace, one pack of cigarettes, a pair of sandals, bra, pink wallet, cell phone charger, and sling bag.
The remains of the victims were brought to Angel Funeral Homes for autopsy, she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
