Sunday, June 30, 2008 Police arrests patient, links him to murder
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy was found dead on a riverbank in Sitio Cabarang, Barangay Sapangdaku, Cebu City yesterday dawn.
Police found the naked body of first year high school student Christian Gabutan Labra at 5:15 a.m. He was believed to have been sexually abused before he was killed.
SPO1 Henry Orbiso, Homicide Section investigator, said they have requested the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 to perform an autopsy that will verify if Christian had been molested.
A team from the Homicide Section, Guadalupe Police Station and Scene of the Crime Operations (Soco)7 personnel led by Insp. Oliver Lariosa recovered a pair of blue short pants, a white shirt, gray briefs and a camouflage-printed baseball cap near Christian’s body.
As potential evidence, the items were submitted to the crime laboratory for examination.
SPO2 Jaime Toring and PO2 Dennis Labra of Guadalupe Police Station arrested jeepney conductor Ruben Racaza Janubas, 26, as the suspect.
Two of Christian’s companions, who were with him before he was found dead, pointed at Janubas as the perpetrator.
In a mobile phone interview, Orbiso told Sun.Star Cebu that Janubas was arrested inside the Cebu City Medical Center, where he was treated for a stab wound in the right side.
Orbiso said that Janubas denied the allegation, as relayed to him by PO2 Labra.
Two minors told the Homicide Section investigators led by SPO4 Alex Dacua that around 3:30 a.m. yesterday, they were on their way home with Christian after going to a disco when they noticed Janubas, who was allegedly intoxicated, tailing them.
Janubas allegedly “held the shoulder, grabbed and dragged” Christian towards a nearby river.
Out of fear, Christian’s companions ran away, but decided to look for him when it was almost daylight.
While they were retracing their steps, they allegedly crossed paths with Jumabas, who was bloodied, before finding Christian’s body.
Orbiso told Sun.Star Cebu that the minors immediately coordinated with barangay tanods, who reported the incident to Guadalupe police.
Orbiso said they will go back to the hospital today to interrogate Janubas, particularly on the circumstances of his injury.
The Homicide Section team failed to talk to Janubas yesterday because doctors were still treating his stab wound.
Orbiso said the Soco 7 team already took blood samples found at the crime scene to determine if some came from Janubas.
Orbiso, though, said the two minors’ testimonies were enough for the filing of the appropriate complaint against Janubas. (JST)
