Talisay murder suspect nabbed in Zamboanga del Norte

A man accused of killing his girlfriend in Talisay City, Cebu, was arrested for the illegal possession of an unlicensed firearm while in Sergio Osmeña Sr. town in Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday afternoon.

Leo Zafra, 71, managed to post a P100,000 bail for his illegal possession case on Thursday, but he remained in jail after police learned of an ongoing hot pursuit operation against him for a murder case in Cebu, said Chief Inspector Romar Victoriano Lim, chief of the Provincial Intelligence Bureau (PIB) of the Sergio Osmeña Sr. Police Office.

Lim said they will bring Zafra to Cebu today.

Zafra is the main suspect in the killing of May Azalia Albasin, 33, whose body was found in a grassy area of Barangay Linao, Talisay City, on Tuesday morning.

Albasin sustained bullet wounds on her abdomen, leg and arms.

Police Supt. Jason Villamater, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said Zafra may have killed Albasin after the victim broke up with him.

Villamater said that Zafra left Cebu shortly after Albasin’s killing and traveled to Dapitan City. He then took a bus to Don Sergio Osmeña Sr., Zamboanga del Norte.

Lim said that while in Barangay Venus in Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. town at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Zafra claimed that he was robbed and sought the help of a resident.

The man whom Zafra approached brought him to the police station.

Police who attended to his concern while at the police station started to doubt Zafra’s robbery claims because he still had with him a pouch which contained cash of undetermined amount.

Suspicious of Zafra’s motive, police started to frisk Zafra and found a .38 caliber revolver tucked in his pants’ waistline which resulted in his detention.