CEBU CITY -- A Norwegian was stabbed to death Monday morning after he allegedly held hostage four persons inside his house since Saturday night.

Nils Frode Aksnes Steen, 51, died of multiple stab wounds at the Eversley Child’s Sanitarium in Mandaue City.

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Arrested were Nisil Mate Ceriales, 25; Cheril Mate Nocete, 38; and a 16-year-old girl. They said they were held hostage by the foreigner in his rented house in Grantville Subdivision in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion.

Ceriales said Steen had a gun and threatened to kill them if any of them tried to get out of the house.

He also allegedly ordered the 16-year-old girl to undress and have sex with Ceriales, her cousin, in front of him.

When they had the chance, Ceriales grabbed the gun from Steen while the girl grabbed a broken bottle and struck Steen’s head. She then grabbed a knife and stabbed him several times.

Ceriales said he and his 16-year-old niece Riza (real name withheld), left the house Saturday night to attend a benefit dance. They did not return until the wee hours of the morning Sunday.

It was that night when Steen pointed a gun at Nocete. He allegedly bound and gagged her while her daughter Kete was bound and locked inside a closet.

When Ceriales and Riza woke up the next say, he asked Steen where Nocete and Kete were.

Steen reportedly said everything was fine and that the mother and daughter merely went to a mall.

But when he knelt to pick something he had dropped to the floor, he caught sight of Nocete bound and gagged.

This reportedly angered Steen, who pulled out a gun and forced him, Riza, Nocete and Kete inside his bedroom, carrying with him his gun, a knife and an axe.

When Steen ordered Riza and Nocete to undress past 4 a.m. Monday, Ceriales managed to grab hold of Steen’s gun and a scuffle ensued.

Riza said she merely grabbed what she could and struck Steen’s head with a bottle and stabbed him with a knife.

Senior Police Officer 1 Ricardo Ermac, investigator of the Consolacion Police Station, said they have yet to talk to Steen’s daughter.

He said they hope to get the girl and Teresa’s statements so they can file a murder case against Riza, Nocete and Ceriales.

Teresa arrived at the police station to pick up her daughter Monday morning.

He said it was up to the prosecutor handling the case if they would take into account self-defense.

Ceriales suffered wounds in his right ear, right foot and bruises on his body, while Nocete had marks on her wrists where she had been bound. Riza was still bleeding in her left foot and had to hobble around the police station to get around.

Riza and Kete were interviewed by a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Ermac said it is up to the social worker to determine if Riza acted with discernment.

He also doubts if the three tried to rob Steen, saying they would not have stayed behind if they had. He noted that it was Riza who ran outside the house to fire two shots in the air to alert the neighbors.

Police will also have Ceriales undergo a drug test after drug paraphernalia was discovered inside the house.

Ermac said they could not yet determine if these belonged to Ceriales or Steen, which was why Ceriales will be made to go through the test.

Ermac hopes to finalize all the documents for the case filing Tuesday.

For now, he said there were no indications that Kete was involved in the foreigner’s death.

However, Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Jesus Gaquing wants to find out why the Consolacion Police “tampered” with the crime scene, rendering the visit of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) useless.

When crime scene operatives arrived at the house, the weapons and ropes had already been brought to the Consolacion Police Station.

Gaguing said a unit that is first to respond should secure the area and evacuate those who need medical attention.

He plans to get in touch with the Soco to check if the Consolacion Police committed lapses.

Consolacion Police Station Chief Elmer Fernandez was not around Monday. SPO1 Ermac told reporters he was having problems with his ulcer.

Gaquing had recently asked the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch (PIDMB) to conduct a seminar for all police stations on crime scene preservation.

The four met each other in Dumaguete City. Ceriales has been helping Steen out and living with him in Consolacion since June.

They claimed Steen invited Ceriales, Nocete, Kete and Riza to stay for a vacation in Cebu.

Steen had a nine-year-old daughter and wanted Nocete’s daughter Kete to keep her company.

Ceriales claimed Steen was drunk and was separated from his wife Teresa. They were reportedly arguing over money matters.

He believes this was why he was feeling down and began drinking.

In Alcoy town, a German resort owner was also accused of keeping his 23-year-old employee inside last Sunday.

Dr. Jurgen Rilling said Jill Sudaria failed to account for P100,000.

Sudaria works as a cashier at Sola Homes in Barangay Guiwang, Alcoy.

Police received a call for assistance Sunday afternoon from Sudaria’s mother, Juanita, who said her daughter was being held by security guards of Sola Homes under Rilling’s orders.

PO1 Herbert Pananga-nan said Jill wanted to resign but Rilling would not allow her to leave until she cleared the records and accounted for the missing amount.

Aside from being cashier, she was reportedly tasked to make deposits at the bank.

Pananganan said there was no commotion and that they released Jill eventually.

But that night, Rillings arrived at the police station to report Jill’s failure to account for the amount, which were lost in May and July. (MEA of Sun.Star Cebu)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 21, 2009.