3 minors face murder raps for American's death

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, through Prosecutor II Rodulph Joseph Val Carillo, filed murder charges against four persons, 3 of them minors, for allegedly killing an American national inside his apartment.

Carillo recommended no bail for Jordan Galiste and three minors accused of killing Leamon Casteen last March 30, 2011.

Security guard Nelson Barquito, 26, assigned at Sanchez Apartment in Sanciangko Street, Cebu City, stated in his affidavit that on March 30 at around 9:00 p.m., he was on duty when the four wanted to get inside the building looking for Catherine Cullamat, who stayed inside the apartment of Casteen.

Barquito said one of the accused who is a minor introduced herself as schoolmate of Cullamat.

Barquito allowed the minor to get inside as he already knew her because she used to stay in the apartment of Casteen.

Barquito said five minutes later, he heard bursts of gunfire that prompted him to go upstairs. Using the side stairway he reached the second floor where some occupants informed him that armed persons went down using the elevator.

He said he followed the armed persons and saw three of them at the ground floor while two of them hurriedly walked away and quickly went out of the gate.

Barquito said he was able to arrest a minor at the ground floor and one who was trapped in the third floor.

He said he turned over the two minors to the police from the Cebu City Police Office led by Chief Inspector George Ylanan.

Barquito also said that few days later, Galiste and another minor surrendered to the authorities. He positively identified them as the very same persons he saw fleeing right after the killing.

According to Cullamat, who executed an affidavit, she arrived from her school at the apartment of Casteen and was surprised when Casteen was shot to death. She later learned that it was the friend of Casteen, who used to stay in the latter’s apartment, who killed him.

Cullamat said she stayed in Casteen’s apartment since April 2009 with the assurance that he would shoulder her school fees, allowances and give monetary aid to her family.

Cullamat said she knew the two accused minors, one of whom, she said, was evicted from Casteen’s apartment after caught stealing money. – (FREEMAN)