Authorities identified the fatality as Maria Doreen Chamber, a British national residing at 295 Noel St., UPS 1, San Martin de Porres.
She died of suffocation and her body was badly burned, said arson investigator Senior Fire Officer 1 Jesus Bayani.
He added that Chamber’s companions, Swiss national Marlyse Habluetzel, 76, two house helpers, and the family driver survived the blaze unhurt.
The fire started at around 1:48 a.m. at the dogs’ cages. It was reported that Chamber placed an electric fan near the cages to keep her dogs cool during the night. However, a short circuit in the fan ignited a fire, the investigator said.
Bayani said Habluetzel and Chamber had already ran out of the house for safety but Chamber went back upon realizing that her pet dogs were trapped in the blaze. Habluetzel tried but failed to stop her friend.
The fire, which reached the first alarm, was put out two hours later. Firemen found Chamber’s body in the bathroom and the remains of the dogs in different parts of the bungalow.
An estimated P3-million worth of property was destroyed in the fire, Bayani said.
Meanwhile, Manila police arrested a 31-year-old garlic vendor after he allegedly stabbed dead an unidentified female in Rizal Park early yesterday morning.
The suspect was identified as Cornelio Danes, of San Andres St. Alaminos, Laguna. Police said Danes was collared by park security guards while trying to scale a park fence at about 12:15 a.m.
Investigators said prior to the suspect’s arrest, park guards were alerted by the screams of the still-unidentified victim, described to be about 17 years of age and sporting cropped hair.
When the guards traced where the screams came from, they were shocked to see the victim sprawled on the grass face down, naked from the waist down. A man’s briefs later traced to be that of the suspect’s, police said, was also found beside the victim.
Police said three witnesses, Michael Mortigas, Elias and Elizer Gleyo saw the suspect jumping from the fence and running towards the Quirino Grandstand shortly after the incident.
Pursuing park guards gave chase and collared the suspect who was brought to the Ermita police station. Police said the suspect was either drunk or high on drugs when he was arrested.
Police said the victim was stabbed nine times in various parts of the body.
During questioning, Danes claimed that he stabbed the victim after she allegedly tried to rob him at knifepoint while he was sleeping. He told police that he managed to grapple the knife away from the victim and stabbed her in self defense.
But Villareal found the claim unlikely saying that the stabbing was done "in anger." "It is possible that he tried to rape the victim but failed to do so and just decided to kill her," he said. Police said the victim was most probably a vagrant who was sleeping in the park. – Mike Frialde