Money behind Espina slay?

CEBU, Philippines- The half brother of the 15-year-old girl who was shot dead on board a multicab in Mandaue City said inheritance might be the reason behind the killing.

Rainer Patenio is the son of Prescilla Patenio with the latter’s former husband. Prescilla was with the dead child, Kim Espina, at the time of the incident and was also hit in her right cheek. Prescilla is now in stable condition.

Rainer disclosed that Kim was the sole heir of her Japanese father’s toy company in Japan. The father died late last year and reportedly indicated the same in his will.

SPO2 Marcos Noval of the Mandaue City Police homicide section, said another son of Prescilla, Troy Patenio, said during investigation that Prescilla met Kim’s Japanese father when she and their father separated. 

Prescilla had five children with her former husband, including Rainer and Troy.

Noval said Prescilla could not talk yet as of yesterday, but was able to tell the cops through writing that it was a man and a woman who were pursuing them last Saturday afternoon.

 “Bisan ug dili pa nato ma-storya si Prescilla pero nakasulat na ni sa papel nga ang nagtira daw nila duha ka lalaki ug usa ka babaye, iyang gi-ingnan iyang mga anak nga dili mokompiyansa ug dili sad daw siya biyaan,” Noval said.

The gunman boarded the multicab along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad and shot the victims inside. Prescilla and Kim were heading to a grocery store in Cebu City at that time.

Footage

The video from the Close Circuit Television camera at the area of the shooting showed the gunman followed the multicab on board a mountain bike. As he was doing so, he looked back several times at a red Nissan Patrol car.

At a stop light, the gunman approached the vehicle and a man disembarked, talked to him, and gave him signals.

When the multicab ridden by the victims stopped at a supermarket, the gunman stopped his bike right beside it and went on board.

The CCTV was not able to capture the actual shooting but it showed passengers of the multicab scampering out the vehicle. An empty bullet of a 9mm pistol was recovered from the crime scene.

Noval said the mobile phones of the victims are now in their custody. They were also able to trace the registered owner of the Nissan Patrol car. — /JMO (FREEMAN)