A JOBLESS man was stabbed dead by his own cousin, whose house he tried to rob in Talisay City, Negros Occidental shortly after midnight yesterday, July 4.

Case investigator Police Staff Master Sergeant Reginaldo Suelto identified the fatality as Recardo Nasis, alias “Hardy,'' 51 of Hacienda Lucricia in the city’s Barangay Cabatangan.

Nasis was rushed to the Talisay City Health Office where he died due to multiple stab wounds, Suelto said.

Investigation showed that Leo Diaz, 52, the owner of the house, was awakened when Nasis entered holding a kitchen knife and as if looking for something.

When Diaz asked Nasis why he was inside the house, the latter attempted to stab the former, Suelto said, adding that the victim destroyed the make-shift window grills made of bamboo to enter the house.

The investigator said that a grappling bout between the two followed where Diaz wrested the kitchen knife and stabbed Nasis.

Diaz’s 70-year-old mother was also awakened by the noise and saw his son and nephew grappling, Suelto added.

Three days before the stabbing, Diaz sold a hog and probably Nasis learned about this since they are neighbors and took interest on the money, Suelto noted.

Diaz is now detained at the lockup cell of Talisay City Police Station although there were initial talks of settlement with the family of Nasis as of this writing.*