Four hurt in grenade blast in Marikina

A family of four was injured in a grenade explosion in Marikina City at dawn yesterday.

Heavily intoxicated, grenade thrower, Dodie Paligsa, told police investigators that he thought what he had lobbed at the rooftop of his neighbor's house was only a stone.

But police pressed frustrated murder charges against Paligsa for the injuries sustained by victims Alim Sales, 28; his wife, Melanie, 25; and two children, Jason, 13 and Sonny Boy, 9.

Prober PO2 Virgilio Cayetano said Paligsa, of Amacan Compound, Nawasa Old Pumping Station, Barangay Malanday had a drinking spree with his friends since Monday night.

Paligsa's group was allegedly having a loud conversation disturbing not only the Sales family, but their other neighbors as well.

At about 1:30 a.m. yesterday, an angry Alim went down his house and confronted Paligsa and his companions, asking them to lower their voices.

When Alim went back to their house, Paligsa and his group allegedly took turns in throwing stones at the house. It was at this moment, Paligsa took out a fragmentation grenade and threw it to the Sales house, witnesses said.

The grenade exploded at the front yard of the Sales house and the victims were hit by grenade shrapnel. They were brought to the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Hospital for treatment.

At his detention cell, Paligsa, who was still reeking of liquor said, he never thought that what he lobbed at Sales' house was a grenade until it exploded.

Responding policemen recovered at the scene the safety pin of a Mark 22 fragmentation grenade. --