Karen Kaye Montebon
THE live-in partner of a slain murder suspect in the death of student Karen Kaye Montebon will be charged by the police who said they had evidence that she was involved in the crime.
Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba, chief of the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7), said they had statements from witnesses who said Jenalyn Soon participated in the robbery and murder of the 17-year-old Montebon.
The college student, was alone in her home in a Lapu-Lapu City subdivision when she was robbed and murdered by Ruben Fernandez, Soon’s live-in partner.
The witnesses are residents of Barangay Nasinggit, Getafe town, Bohol where Fernandez went into hiding after robbing and killing Montebon.
Witnesses said they saw Soon at the islet in Bohol arguing with Fernandez after learning about Montebon’s murder, Tayaba said.
In earlier reports, Soon admitted that she went to Montebon’s home in Lapu-Lapu City on Sept. 15 with Fernandez to check if her sister based in Hawaii had sent money to her through the victim’s mother.
She told police that she had no knowledge of the crime as Fernandez dropped her off outside the subdivision, before returning alone to the house.
Policemen went to the islet of Nasingin off Getafe town, Bohol on Tuesday afternoon to pick up Fernandez after Soon told them of his whereabouts.
But they found Fernandez dead near the shoreline, with bullet wounds in the head and chest.
Soon was considered a major witness then and was cleared by the police after she cooperated in the investigation.
The City Legal Office in Lapu-Lapu City Hall has been waiting for nearly two months for the report from the Lapu-Lapu City Office on the Montebon case.
“Until now we are still waiting for the full report from the police so we can determine and process how the P500,000 reward money can be disposed,” Lapu-Lapu City Legal Officer Yuri Benluan said.
He said evidence was sent to Manila for DNA testing and police are still waiting for the results.
Lapu-Lapu City police chief Senior Supt. Armando Radoc told him the reward money can be shared by several persons who provided information on the whereabouts of suspect Ruben Fernandez and the location of the items stolen from Karen Kaye Montebon.