Teen suspected as ‘thief’ found dead

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police have no idea yet what caused the death of a 17-year-old boy whose body was found at Purok Buyog-Buyogan, Barangay Magballo, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last Thursday.

Authorities withheld the name of the victim who was a resident of Barangay Pinggot, Ilog town.

Police Lieutenant Dennis Melgarejo, deputy police chief of Kabankalan City Police Station, said the victim left their house on Oct 8 on board his father’s motorcycle, according to his father.

His motorcycle was discovered abandoned on Oct 17 while his body was found Oct 21.

Police recovered from the scene a sling bag containing the victim’s valuables, and some tools.

Melgarejo said the victim was an alleged thief in Barangay Pinggot as he and some cohorts were tagged in theft incidents in Barangay Magballo.

Melgarejo said the victim was previously referred by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to a psychiatric examination and found out that he suffered from “kleptomania” or compulsion to steal.

Melgarejo said they are waiting for the result of the postmortem examination to determine the cause of his death.