Man accused of killing boy pleads not guilty

CEBU, Philippines - Not guilty was the plea of Kienner Baller, the man accused of killing, slamming the head of a two-year-old boy on the pavement last August 28 in Barangay Biasong, Talisay City.

Baller stood in front of Judge Ester Veloso of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 6 assisted by a public attorney during his arraignment yesterday.

Earlier, the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office elevated the murder case before the court after he chose not to file a counter-affidavit to negate the allegations filed against him. He was charged for a non-bailable offense.

Yesterday, in an interview, Baller denied he committed the crime.

State Prosecutor Jenelyn Forrosuelo said Baller pleaded not guilty. As of now, she said, she has yet to decide on the number of witnesses they will present because she still has to meet the complainant of the case.

She said the next scheduled hearing will be on November 5, 2012, the pre-trial of the case.

In the complaint filed by Jeffrey Abucejo Sr., the father of the victim, he said on August 28, 2012 at around 5:30 p.m. he was at the back of his house in Biasong when he heard his wife shouting.

His wife told him that Baller pulled their son and struck the child on the pavement near their house.

 “I immediately went to my wife who cuddled my son, bloodied all over his body and then we rushed to Talisay City District Hospital afterwhich we were referred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center where the doctor pronounced my son dead on arrival,” the affidavit reads.

Ruth Saniel, sister of the accused, said she was at the beach near their house when she saw her brother with blood on his shoulder. She said she went home to verify what happened and her sister told her that Baller attacked the victim by slamming his head into the pavement.

With that, she said she arrested her brother and turned him over to the responding police. She added that her brother told her he attacked the victim before he will be eaten by an alien. The victim was playing with other kids at that time.

Baller reportedly was in a drug rehabilitation center for six months. He was alone in his house and watched horror movies before the incident.  (FREEMAN)