Police: Evidence shows vendor was "murdered"

CEBU, Philippines - Homicide investigators believe that the death of a 42-year-old vegetable vendor in Barangay Capitol Site last Monday was a case of murder and not just a mere accident as the suspect claimed it to be.

SPO4 Alex Dacua said they found evidence showing that Ronnie Caparida, 29, could not just have “accidentally shot” his live-in partner Alicia Revealde inside their rented room at Sitio Ponce.

Dacua said that the evidence shows that the victim was shot point blank in the head as shown by the tattooing marks around the gunshot wound.

Caparida, however, claimed that he had no reason to kill his live-in partner. Caparida, a native of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, said he loved Revealde so much whom he had been living with for the past two years.

The suspect said he was cleaning his gun when it suddenly went off hitting his live-in partner who was sleeping beside him. The bullet went through the right temple and exited on the other side of the head causing her death.

The police found his story suspicious because he failed to immediately report the incident to the police. He also did not rush his live-in partner to the hospital if at all he did not intend to kill her.

It was only after almost nine hours that he surrendered and informed the authorities about what had happened.

The police found no signs of struggle inside the crime scene. There was also no sign of physical struggle between the suspect and the victim. Homicide investigators are still looking into the possible motive behind the killing. (FREEMAN)