Suspect in stabbing rampage surrenders

A 51-year-old helper, the primary suspect in the stabbing of three children and a family friend over two weeks ago in Caloocan City, surrendered to authorities yesterday after going into hiding in Bulacan.

Senior Superintendent Virgilio Espija, acting Caloocan City police chief, presented suspect Pepito Joson to Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, Northern Police District (NPD) chief, in a media briefing at the city police headquarters yesterday.

Joson, a native of Plaridel, Bulacan and former all-around utility man in the household of Marissa Ampioco, the children’s mother, in Barangay 12, Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City, surrendered to Superintendent Alfred Corpus, District Investigation and Intelligence Division (DIID) chief, last Tuesday afternoon.

Joson said he was accompanied by Bro. Angel Gonzales, reportedly a friend of Corpus, when he gave himself up. He said he decided to finally surrender after his conscience bugged him.

"Humihingi po ako ng tawad sa aking ginawa. Nawala lang po ako sa aking sarili," Joson told the STAR in his cell. He said he wanted to tell this to the two boys, aged four and seven, and their 11-year-old sister, all surnamed Ampioco, and Honey Fajardo, 27, who survived the stabbing rampage shortly before dawn of March 20, 2006.

The family, however, is determined to press on with the charges, police said.

The children’s grandfather Leonardo, 70, who lives in the neighborhood, took in Joson some two years ago and gave him to the Ampiocos to work as a helper.

During a confrontation at the police station, Fajardo could not contain her anger and punched the suspect.

Fajardo recounted that Joson, arrived drunk at around 3:45 a.m. that day at the Ampioco residence. The family friend said she saw him molesting the young girl as they slept in the bedroom and confronted him about this.

Joson denied Fajardo’s accusation, then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and attacked her.

His rage unspent, Joson went into a stabbing frenzy, attacking the still sleeping children. The girl, however, woke up and put up a fight before making a quick getaway out of the room.

Joson chased after her, but failed to catch up with the girl, prompting him to throw the knife in his hand and hitting her in the back.

Joson said he fled to his hometown in Plaridel to ride out the incident, but his conscience allegedly bothered him no end.