Policemen of Aloguinsan Police Station have released a photo of James Harvey Nengasca, 23, the suspect in the killing of her aunt and stabbing and wounding another aunt, who has remained at large as of this posting. | Photo courtesy of Aloguinsan Police Station
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Cebu are encouraging the man, who robbed and stabbed dead his aunt and wounded another aunt over the weekend in Aloguinsan town, to surrender to authorities.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gifter Sucalit, deputy provincial director for operations of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said that they had assigned a tracking team to locate the suspect, James Harvey Nengasca, 23, a relative of the victims.
According to their initial investigation, Sucalit said that Nengasca was a former criminology student and was allegedly a drug user.
“Akoang giawhag ang suspetsado, identified man ni, na musurrender siya. Nga di na sya musukol sa ataong kapulisan para peacefully masolbad ang kaso ug para mahatagan og hustisya ang kamatayon sa biktima,” Sucalit said.
(I am calling on the suspect, who is already identified, to surrender. That he would not resist our policemen so that the case would be peacefully solved and the death of the victim would be given justice.)
Considering how gruesome the crime was committed, Sucalit said that there was a big possibility that the suspect was indeed taking illegal drugs.
The police officer said that Nengasca had allegedly the intention of robbing his relative’s store and tailoring shop in San Juan Purok 3 in Barangay Bonbon, Aloguinsan town that afternoon of June 26.
He said that the suspect was positively identified by the other victim, who survived the attack, and a minor, who saw the suspect fleeing the area and armed with a pair of scissors, which was believed to have been the weapon the suspect used in stabbing the victims.
Sucalit identified the dead victim as Arsenia Alidani of legal age and the aunt of the suspect.
She died after sustaining multiple stab wounds in different parts of her body.
Sucalit also identified the wounded victim as Belen Biton, 53, who was also an aunt of the suspect.
Biton survived from stab wounds on her head and knees.
She told police that she managed to run away from the suspect when she started stabbing her.
Initial investigation showed that at past 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, Alidani had just arrived from church and was inside her store. A few minutes later, Biton, who was outside the store then, heard a commotion inside.
Biton went inside to check what the commotion was about. She then saw a bloodied Alidani lying on the floor. It was then that the suspect appeared from behind her and covered her mouth.
Biton resisted and she and the suspect had a short scuffle as the suspect stabbed her in the head and knees. Biton managed to free herself and run outside the store, where she shouted for help.
Sucalit said that the suspect allegedly took jewelry and cash from Alidani, but they did not know how much Nengasca stole.
“Gisundan, dakong possibilidad nga gipasulod,” he added.
(The suspect followed (the victim), there’s a big possibility that he was allowed to enter the store.)
The suspect fled the crime scene. Both victims were brought to the hospital but Alidani was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Biton, on the other hand, was admitted at the hospital where she was recuperating from her wounds.
Aloguinsan town is a 4th class municipality of Cebu Province, which is situated 93 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
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