A LOCAL artist died while her house helper was injured after a robber stabbed them inside her house at Purok 6, Barangay Granada in Bacolod City Wednesday morning.
Police identified the fatality as Nunistell Mae Fulo Lee, 41.
She was a painter and a performing artist at Artistika group, and was once a Bayanihan dancer.
Wounded was Mary Grace Mupada, 33, of Pontevedra, Negros Occidental.
Chief Inspector Sherlock Gabana, head of Police Station 5, said the suspect, Sandy Sevilla, 27, a native of Escalante City, entered Lee’s house past 1 a.m.
He proceeded to the comfort room outside the main house.
Lee saw the suspect inside and shouted for help. Sevilla stabbed her 13 times.
Mupada heard her employer calling for help, and when she checked the comfort room, the suspect also stabbed her.
Mupada was able to run and ask for help from their neighbors.
Lee was declared dead at a private hospital while Mupada is still confined at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Investigators recovered from the scene the suspect’s pair of shorts, t-shirt, cap, and knife.
Gabana said Sevilla was arrested in a follow-up operation at his partner's house in Hacienda Carmen in the said village.
The suspect, who is detained at the station, is facing attempted robbery with homicide and frustrated homicide charges.
Sevilla, in a media interview, said he attempted to rob Lee’s house because he needed money for his six-month-old son, who is sick.
Sevilla, who previously worked as a security guard, said it was not his intention to kill Lee and hurt Mupada.
He apologized for committing the crime.