Suspect in teacher’s rob-slay nabbed

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – “Birthday ko, pero wala gid ko kwarta abi.”

This was the statement of 39-year-old Delleon Del Rosario of Barangay 8 here when asked why he killed 28-year-old senior high public school teacher Jessica Ducay in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental last Wednesday.

Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 8, narrated Del Rosario’s allegations after the latter was arrested at his wife’s house in Barangay Singcang-Airport here around 1:30 a.m. yesterday.

Prior to that, the suspect’s wife coordinated with the police last Thursday telling them that she will help convince her husband to surrender.

But he did not show up, prompting the police to wait for him at his wife’s house.

Puerto said that Del Rosario told the police that he intended to rob Ducay, as he had no money to celebrate his birthday on October 6.

Puerto said that Ducay is the niece of Del Rosario’s employer.

“Lapit lang na da balay ka biktima kuno, so nakita niya amu na ang vulnerable siguro,” the station commander added.

But when Del Rosario entered the victim’s house at Barangay Banquerohan that night, the latter woke up and allegedly hit him with a chair, Puerto said.

This prompted the suspect to allegedly stab her before carting away her P79,000 cash.

The victim’s family had earlier offered a P50,000 reward for the immediate arrest of the suspect, who was identified by authorities through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera.

But the stolen money was not recovered from the suspect during his arrest in coordination with Cadiz City Police Station.

Puerto said the suspect did not tell them where he went or hid after the incident. He also denied using illegal drugs.

The suspect was already turned over to Cadiz City Police Station for the filing of robbery with murder charges.