LUCENA CITY, Quezon – The primary suspect in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl here was found dead in the bathroom of the old custodial facility of the Lucena City police in Barangay Mayao Crossing, this city, after midnight on Sunday, June 4.
Police said the body of the suspect, Julius Rodas, 19, was discovered by an inmate who called the attention of the duty custodial facility officer.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office- Emergency Response Team (ERT) rushed the suspect to the Quezon Medical Center here where he was declared dead.
Police arrested Rodas hours after the body of the victim was found in a secluded vacant lot in Barangay Gulang-gulang on May 31.
Rodas reported to barangay officials that he saw the body of the girl but surveillance footage gathered by the police showed that he was the suspect.
Police said the suspect confessed to committing the crime after taking the solvent rugby.
However, Rodas’ father does not believe that his son raped and killed the girl because the suspect has a mild mental problem.
Police said that the girl was naked, her arms tied, and her mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth. The victim’s body also had bruises.