CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro - The Police Regional Office MIMAROPA (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) announced yesterday the arrest of the alleged killer in the gruesome murder of a 29-year-old single mother and her two sons in San Jose town, Romblon last Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Police Brigadier General Sidney S. Hernia, regional director of PRO-MIMAROPA said the suspect, 35-year-old Patrick R. Cahilig, a resident of Sitio Miason, Barangay Busay, of the said town was one of the four persons of interest whom the police tagged in the murder of Weilyn M. Mendoza and her two sons, TJ, 9 and JB, 7.
Brig. Gen. Hernia said Cahilig was positively identified by a lone witness, Charlie M. Seraspi who claimed that he was sleeping in a separate room of the victim's house in Sitio Upper Hinulugan, Barangay Poblacion on the morning of January 26 when he was awakened by a noise of a chain lock of the door where the suspect came out.
Sensing that nothing has happened, Seraspi went back to sleep as he was feeling tired after attending a birthday party in a neighbor's house the night before together with the three victims.
Seraspi also cited in his sworn statement that his mother is the live-in partner of the suspect.
Major Loreto F. Maulion Jr., chief of Public Information Office of PRO-MIMAROPA said the local police in San Jose has considered personal grudge as possible motive in the killing after the victim terminated the suspect as one of the workers in the construction of her house.
Hernia commended the chief of the San Jose municipal police station, Lt. Mark Anthony P. Encarnacion and his men for solving the crime but still directed him to pursue an in-depth investigation.