Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Woman cop positive of gunpowder burns
CEBU City’s homicide police now consider the investigation on last Saturday’s death of a rookie policewoman “as good as closed.”
Insp. Mario Monilar, Homicide Police chief, said witnesses’ accounts and the result of the paraffin test convinced them there was no foul play in PO1 Karesh M. Valenzuela’s death.
The paraffin test showed both her hands positive of gunpowder nitrates.
However, investigators are still waiting for the results of the autopsy and of the ballistic tests on Valenzuela’s 9mm pistol.
Valenzuela, 26, a policewoman from Western Visayas who was in Cebu for field training, was found dead inside a comfort room of a food store inside the Basilica del Sto. Niño compound Saturday morning.
She was among the personnel deployed to augment Cebu’s police force for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and the Sinulog.
Now that the police have determined that Valenzuela was alone inside the comfort room at that time, the investigation will focus on whether it was an accidental firing or a suicide.
A member of the Parish Security Group Federation detailed at the Sto. Niño church executed an affidavit yesterday saying he was the one who picked up Valenzuela’s firearm at the crime scene.
Arlindo Murillo, 38, said that at 8:30 a.m., he heard a commotion inside the La Fortuna Bakeshop.
He said he saw a policewoman, later identified as Valenzuela, with gunshot wounds in her head. She was on the floor, a 9mm pistol near her feet. She was still moving.
He said he decided to pick up the firearm for security reasons and turned it over to two policemen, later identified as PO1 Joselito Martin Golo and PO1 Alex Dolfo, who responded to the alarm.
After that, he called the paramedics to take Valenzuela to a hospital, Murillo said.
As the paramedics were taking Valenzuela out, he saw a cellular phone fall from Valenzuela’s pocket, Murillo added.
An unidentified man picked up the cellular phone. Murillo said he heard one of the paramedics ask the man to put the cellular phone in the paramedic’s pocket.
Murillo said he is not sure if the man did as the paramedic told him. That phone remains missing.
Golo and Dolfo said in a joint affidavit that they were at the gate of the Basilica del Sto. Niño when they were informed about the incident.
They said Murillo approached them and handed over Valenzuela’s firearm.
Since the firearm was loaded, Golo “released the magazine and ejected the load for safety.” Golo then placed the firearm inside a small plastic bag and turned it over to the Waterfront Police Station.
Insp. Monilar said the statements of Golo, Dolfo and Murillo will still be evaluated and that investigators are inviting other witnesses, including the establishment’s waiter, Christopher Auza. (JST)
