Three injured in San Carlos grenade blast

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A grenade explosion along the Eco-Tourism Highway in Sitio Medina, Barangay Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, last Tuesday left three people injured, including an elderly woman.

The victims, whose names have been withheld, are a 75-year-old store owner, her 42-year-old son, and a 34-year-old store attendant.

Police Major Ryan Villasario, deputy chief of the San Carlos City Police Station, reported that the 39-year-old suspect, whose name has also been withheld, approached the area on a motorcycle at around 11:08 a.m. and hurled a grenade in front of the store.

The three individuals sustained injuries and are now in stable condition at the San Carlos City Hospital, Villasario confirmed.

He added that a policeman and his wife, who were having coffee at the store at the time of the incident, were unharmed.

The explosion caused damage to the windshield of the officer’s sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a motorcycle belonging to one of the victims that was parked nearby, as well as to the glass shelves of the store, Villasario elaborated.

The suspect was apprehended at his mother’s home in Barangay Punao around 8 p.m., with no resistance during the arrest.

The perpetrator was identified using closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, and the victims also positively identified him, according to Villasario.

The police are currently investigating the motive behind the attack, suspecting that the assailant may have held a grudge against one of the victims.

Villasario also mentioned that they are examining the background of the suspect to determine if others might be involved in the incident.

He assured that they are in the process of preparing the necessary documents to file appropriate charges against the suspect.