Suspect in murder of public school teacher in Santiago City arrested
SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela – A 19-year-old student from Saguday town, Quirino province was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 31, over the killing of a public school teacher here.
The suspect Nel was apprehended one day after the victim, Jhanmar, 31, was found dead in his boarding house in Barangay Villasis on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Police Lt. Col. Osmundo Mamanao, officer-in-charge of the City Community Affairs and Development Unit of the Santiago City Police Office (SCPO), said authorities are preparing cases of robbery with homicide and carnapping against the suspect.
Investigation by the SCPO Station 1 and a review of closed-circuit television camera footage revealed the suspect arriving with the victim at the boarding house around midnight on Dec. 29. Two hours later, the suspect was seen leaving the area aboard the victim’s motorcycle, with his victim’s backpack and other personal belongings.
The suspect was identified through information provided by a friend and through the victim’s Facebook Messenger account, which showed that the two allegedly met on Dec. 28. The suspect reportedly used the screen name Nel Kudan.
Recovered from the suspect were the victim’s motorcycle, wallet, cellphone, and clothes.
The victim was discovered at around 10 a.m. by a woman delivering his uniform. She found the teacher lying on the floor of his room with his face bloodied and an extension wire wrapped around his neck.
Police said the motive for the killing remains unclear and are determining if there was a prior dispute between the victim and the suspect.