SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna – Authorities took in two minors responsible for raping and killing a seven-year-old girl on July 6.

The Laguna Provincial Police Office (PPO) identified the suspects as alyas Broccoli and alyas Totoy.

On the night of the incident, alyas Broccoli was reportedly drinking alcohol in a vacant house in Barangay Landayan when alyas Totoy arrived with the victim, alyas Ava, whose mouth was tied with a cloth.

The suspects brought the victim to the second floor of the house where they raped and strangled her to death.

On July 7, alyas Broccoli was nabbed by barangay police safety officers for stealing a cellphone. He later stated that he was responsible for raping a victim inside a vacant house and that his friend, alyas Totoy, allegedly strangled the victim.

The barangay police safety officers sought alyas Totoy and turned over the two suspects to the San Pedro City Police Station.

Alyas Broccoli executed an extra-judicial confession of his participation in the commission of the crime in front of his counsel, a City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) representative, his mother and sister.

Both minors are now under the custody of San Pedro CSWD.

"The whole PNP Laguna expresses deepest condolences to the whole family of the victim," Laguna PPO Chief Col. Cecilio Ramos Ison Jr. said in a statement on July 12.

"Let us take this as a lesson to every parent and to all of us to be more vigilant and give extra care to our little ones. We also thank our force multipliers like the barangay tanods for the prompt action that led to the immediate arrest of the suspects."