Child rapist falls

A 28-year-old jobless man who raped and attempted to kill an eight-year-old sampaguita vendor in Quezon City has been arrested, Metro police chief Deputy Director Reynaldo Velasco said yesterday.

Velasco presented yesterday the suspect, Israel Jocson, 28, who was nabbed by the men of the Central Police District (CPD), headed by Senior Superintendent Napoleon Castro and officers from Kamuning police Station 10.

"The arrest is part of the drive in the metropolis to rid the streets of hoodlums and keeping our families safe," Velasco said.

Jocson, of Barangay Immaculate Conception, Quezon City claimed he was under the influence of illegal drugs when he raped and tried to kill the victim.

In his report, Castro said the suspect forcibly forced the victim, who was selling sampaguita at the corner of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City at 2 a.m. last Saturday, to his home, where he molested her.

After raping the victim, Jocson banged the head of the girl on the concrete wall and left her for dead.

The victim’s aunt discovered her niece bloodied and unconscious, in front of the suspects’ house and brought her to the nearest hospital. The victim’s aunt sought the help of Kamuning police station chief Superintendent Joel Coronel, who deployed his men to the scene. A charge of rape with frustrated homicide has been filed against the suspect, who is currently detained at the Kamuning Police Station.

Also presented by Velasco yesterday was one of four felons in the ambush of four Quezon City policemen in Payatas last month.

After barely a month of operations, the men of the CPD criminal investigation unit were able to collar Kamalodeng Saumay, alias Joel and Rodel, 24, a vendor, of Lower Jasmin, Barangay Payatas-A.

He was arrested after figuring in a gunbattle with a fellow street gangster at 2 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Payatas. The suspect was still holding a homemade shotgun when arrested.

Saumay was positively identified by Inspector Basilio, SPO4 Loreto Basilio, SPO1 Miguel Gagayguy, and Oliver Victoria, as one of the four suspects who ambushed them on Atis Street, Lower Jasmin, Barangay Payatas-A last Oct. 6.

Saumay was slapped with illegal possession of firearms and four counts of frustrated murder charges before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

The suspect denied the charges against him. He claimed he was in Las Piñas when the four policemen, all of the Lower Jasmin Police Assistance Center, were ambushed while conducting an operation against criminals.