Police identified the victim as Richelle Karen Mamaril, 15, of Block 10-A, Lot 3, Avocado St., Cristina Homes, Camarin, Caloocan. Probers said she was gang-raped.
The victim, daughter of retired Army Colonel Eusebio Mamaril, was a third-year student at the Camarin High School Annex.
Initial investigation showed that barangay tanod Jorito Gutillon of Purok La Loma, Camarin, found the lifeless body of Mamaril in an empty lot near Camachile St., Cristina Homes, at around 5 a.m. Mamaril was still in her school uniform.
Police said that the victim had two deep slash wounds in her throat, a hack wound in her head, and bloodstains on her white underwear.
Senior Inspector Rio Gatacilo said bloodstains were traced from the vacant lot to an auto repair shop at Block 5-D Lot 13 Cristina Homes, Camarin, about 50 meters from where the body was found.
Recovered from the scene were an eight-inch meat cleaver, a blood soaked peach bed sheet, and the victim’s school bag containing books and some clothes.
Senior Inspector Angel Cariaga of the Caloocan SIIB said Leo Lloyd Dizon, 19, single, a caretaker of the auto repair shop, was arrested after arousing their suspicions as he loitered at the crime scene.
During investigation, police found Dizon had bruises on his left hand and blood stains on some parts of his body.
Dizon denied participating in the crime and pointed to a certain Virgilio Belano alias Tabor, 18, single, jobless, residing at 3656 Alma Jose Compound, Camarin, Caloocan and an unidentified male companion, as the perpetrators of the crime.
Police quoted Dizon as saying that at around 10:30 p.m. last Feb. 22, the victim, together with Belano and a companion, asked him if they could spend the night at the auto repair shop.
Dizon said Belano later ordered him to buy some cigarettes. Upon returning, he found Belano on top of the victim while the other man was slitting her throat with the meat cleaver.
Dizon claimed he tried to help the victim but one of the two men allegedly kicked him, which he said, explains the bruises on his hand.
However, Dizon admitted washing off the blood from the death weapon.
Quoting the victim’s relatives, Station 1 Commander Superintendent Romulo Ramos said Mamaril turned rebellious after discovering that she was adopted.
Neighbors interviewed by police claimed that the victim has been known to sleep over at the auto-repair shop with her boyfriend, reportedly a crew member of the Kowloon Restaurant.
Officer on case PO3 Carmelito Silvino said that the victim’s body has been sent to the Nova Funeral Homes for autopsy by the Northern Police District (NPD) Crime Laboratory.
Dizon is now detained while members of the responding team, PO2s Jonard Morales, Ruben Samonte, and Sonny Boy Tepace are now on the trail of Tabor and the other cohorts now believed to be in hiding.