Drunken boast leads to killers’ arrest

A drunken boast led to the solution of a gruesome murder last month of a lot caretaker by her live-in partner, his two cousins and friend in Marikina City.

Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Marikina City police chief said the killing of Arlene Suelo (not Lacaba as earlier reported), 39, could have remained unsolved had not for the mistake of one of the suspects, Cayetano Navidad, 19.

"He boasted in one of his drinking bouts that he and his companions silenced a nagger in their house," said Ramos, adding that their witness had overheard Navidad.

The witness went to the Marikina City police on Wednesday to report the crime. Ramos said they immediately arrested Navidad and Suelo’s live-in partner, Enrico Lacaba, 34.

At first, Navidad and Lacaba denied the crime. But when confronted by Ramos regarding the statement of the witness, both Lacaba and Navidad broke down and confessed. Navidad led Ramos to a shallow grave where they buried the body.

Crime scene investigators dug up Suelo’s body from a four foot-deep grave last Wednesday. The grave was several meters away from a shanty where Suelo and Lacaba lived. The couple have three children, aged 6, 4, and 2.

At least three days before Christmas, Lacaba said he and his cousins, Eric Garcia, 32, and Jerry Moreno, and Navidad were preparing for a drinking bout when Suelo began nagging him.

Instead of getting angry, Lacaba said he pleaded to his live-in partner to wash their piling dirty clothes instead.

But Suelo continued nagging and Navidad picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed her twice in the chest. Garcia took an icepick and stabbed her in the back.

Suelo pleaded to Lacaba for help but he told her to sit down. She did and Lacaba clubbed her on the forehead with a piece of lumber.

Moreno tried but failed to stop the attack. Lacaba said their three children saw their mother bleeding to death and he told them to stay inside the house. The police are currently looking for Moreno.

Lacaba claimed that he blacked out and has no memory of the attack. He added that he never lifted a finger against Suelo despite her nagging.

When their children asked him where their mother was, Lacaba told them that she left to work as a housemaid.