Girl IDs mom’s killer after stabbing

CEBU, Philippines - Balamban police arrested one of two men who killed a mother of five yesterday after he returned to the crime scene and mingled with onlookers.

The police took pictures of the crowd and showed the faces to the woman’s 14-year-old daughter, who witnessed how her mother was stabbed at least 20 times.

“Ang atong arrested person nasimhotan na nga langsi gipa-picture-ran nato unya gipakita sa bata.  Unya nihilak man siya og maayo atong giaresto dayon (Somebody noticed that the suspect, who mingled with the crowd, reeked, so we made sure we also had his picture. When the child saw his picture, she cried so hard we immediately arrested him,)” said Chief Inspector Richard Oliver.

Oliver identified the suspect as Cesar Carmelotes, 43, of Sitio Laray, Buanoy. The Balamban police chief said Carmelotes is a drug personality in the town. 

The police said that aside from killing Jonalyn Abendan, 40, by stabbing her several times, Carmelotes and his still-to-be-identified companion took almost P100,000 worth of cash and gadgets.

It was around 1 a.m. when Carmelotes and another person gained entry inside Abendan’s house by detaching the wooden grill at the dirty kitchen of the house.

The men immediately went to the room of the girl, who got a good look at Carmelotes after he threatened her with a knife.

The girl was in her room while her mother was in another. Her four siblings were sleeping in a separate house nearby.

Oliver said the perpetrators then went to Abendan and hogtied her and her daughter with a cable wire. The men then brought Abendan and the girl inside a comfort room.

While Carmelotes and his companion were busy getting the cash and valuables, Abendan managed to loosen the wire.

“Medyo pagluag sa higot nisuway siya og gawas sa CR unya gisugat siya sa suspek didto gidunggab na siya og kadaghan.  Iyang mga samad mostly sa kamot sa sinagang niya (When the wire loosened, she tried to go out of the comfort room but was met by Carmelotes and stabbed repeatedly. Most of her wounds were in her hands in an attempt to defend herself),” Oliver told The FREEMAN.

After killing Abendan, Carmelotes and his companion immediately fled on foot, giving the girl the opportunity to call her neighbors for help.

Oliver said Abendan was lending money to people and that she had a good relationship with her neighbors. Her husband, who works abroad, is returning this week after learning about the incident.

The girl, on the other hand, is in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for stress debriefing.

Carmelotes is detained at the Balamban Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges against him.

The police are also conducting follow up operations to arrest the second perpetrator.—/RHM (FREEMAN)