A 40-year-old woman hanged self dead inside the police detention cell a few hours after she was detained for stealing a cell phone Monday night in Caloocan City.
Superintendent Jose Valencia, Caloocan City police Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch chief identified the victim as Aurora Pingol, a resident of Marulas Street, Caloocan City. Pingol was found hanging dead inside the Caloocan City Hall Police Security Detachment detention cell by PO3 Conrado Punzalan, desk duty officer, at around 10:15 p.m. A steel wire looped around her neck that was tied to the steel grill of her cell’s window.
PO2 Ferdinand Naval, SIDMB investigator, said Pingol was apprehended at around 6 p.m. by the City Hall traffic personnel for stealing the cell phone of Desiree Daran in front of the San Roque Cathedral on A. Mabini Street.
“The City Hall traffic personnel arrested the suspect and recovered from her the stolen cell phone and they turned her over to the police,” Naval said.
Naval said Punzalan and another duty police officer PO1 Edward Adriano brought the victim to the President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Placido Roman Cruz.
Naval said that cursory examination showed the victim’s neck had ligature marks. He also said that the duty cops could not explain where the wire, which the victim used in hanging herself, came from.
He said that the police officers on duty could face administrative charges if investigation showed that they were also to blame for the incident.
“We are still investigating whether our cops are also culpable for the incident,” Valencia said.