19-year-old ‘intruder’ shot dead by house owner

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A teenage boy suspected of attempted theft was found dead early morning of Jan. 5, 2023 in Batad, Iloilo.

The body of Juv Bigare, 19, of Barangay Alapasco, Batad, was found around 7 meters from the backyard of the house he allegedly attempted to burglarize, also at Alapasco village.

It was believed that the suspect-victim had been dead for a few hours when police responded to the scene.

He was still taken to Jesus Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan town where he was declared dead on arrival.

The teenager suffered a lone gunshot injury on the chest.

Lieutenant Jaypee Silvestre, Batad police chief, said they subsequently placed Marlo Chavez under arrest.

The 45-year-old Chavez told police investigators that he was not aware that he may have probably killed the teenager.

Chavez narrated that he caught a male person forcibly opening their house’s back door around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Since he assumed that the person was a thief, he claimed to have shot the latter.

“Chavez said he didn’t know if he hit the intruder. He claimed to have just holed up in his room for fear that the trespasser was also armed,” Silvestre said.

Chavez did not bother to check the surrounding claiming that it was too dark. He only knew that Bigare was fatally hit after a neighbor discovered the latter’s body around 5 a.m.

Chavez’ brother, Mark, was the one who called for police assistance.

Silvestre said they did not recover the gun used in the shooting incident.

Chavez is now detained.

Meanwhile, police records indicated that no complaint was lodged against Bigare at their level.

But Silvestre said he was accused of theft at the barangay level.