70-year-old woman stabbed dead in Dumangas break-in

DUMANGAS, Iloilo — A 70-year-old woman died after she was stabbed during an apparent burglary attempt early Sept. 26 in Dumangas, Iloilo.

Reports said the victim, identified only as Erna, was sleeping inside her store in Barangay Tabucan, Dumangas, when the break-in happened at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

Relatives living adjacent to the store said they heard strained grunts.

Her younger brother, Henry, who lives about 15 meters from the store, immediately checked on his sister.

He claimed to have seen a man wearing a white T-shirt and denim pants rushing out of the victim’s store.

Thinking the man was a burglar, Henry chased the suspect and tried to catch him, but the latter jumped into a dark portion of the river.

Henry immediately returned to the store and found his sister with a stab wound.

A knife was still embedded in Erna’s neck when she was found.

Members of the Dumangas Rescue Team brought the victim to Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Maj. Kenn Albert Lepsia, Dumangas police chief, said the victim’s family and neighbors searched the area for the suspect while police conducted a hot pursuit operation.

Early that afternoon, Lepsia said a resident noticed that someone appeared to be hiding in a vegetated portion of the river.

After verification, Henry confirmed that the man in the river resembled the person he had chased before finding his sister fatally wounded.

Police identified the man as alias “Danilo,” 25, of Barangay Lacturan, Dumangas.

Danilo had previously done odd jobs for the victim.

Lepsia said the suspect appeared visibly hungry when he was taken from his hiding place.

The suspect is detained pending the filing of charges against him.

Police also said Danilo had previously faced a case involving the burglary of the municipal hall.