Murder rap readied against arrested suspected thief, who killed nursing student in Lapu-Lapu

The suspect in killing a nursing student was arrested ten hours after his escape in Barangay Buaya, Lapu-Lapu City on Oct. 15, 2022. He was arrested in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City. | Photo courtesy of LCPO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Murder and illegal possession of a firearm charges are being readied against the arrested suspected thief, who killed a nursing student at dawn on Saturday, Oct. 15, in Barangay Buaya, Lapu-Lapu City.

This is after the family, friends and schoolmates of the victim, 18-year-old nursing student Johanna Xhyrra Selim, cry for justice for her death, and the victim’s kins’ appeal for financial assistance for the her burial as can be seen in the victim’s Facebook timeline.

“We are all fighting for justice for her death. However, we, the family, and the closest friends of Johanna Xhyrra are knocking at your kind heart for any amount of help to sustain the financial needs of her burial,” a portion of a post of the relative of the victim, Selim, read.

Selim was a nursing student of a private university in Lapu-Lapu City.

Police said she was shot dead by a fleeing burglar whom her family found inside their rented room on Saturday dawn, Oct. 15, and whom she helped chase.

The suspected burglar after shooting Selim on the shoulder was able to escape and Selim later was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jul Muhammad Jamiri, chief of the Intelligence Unit of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said that they arrested the suspect, Roy Cuizon, 42, 10 hours later in Barangay Budlaan, Cebu City.

Police said that Cuizon, a street vendor, had relatives in Budlaan who took him in as they did not know what he earlier did.

The arrest was led by Police Lieutenant Noah Añana and made in coordination with the Talamban Police Station in Cebu City.

Jamiri said that murder and illegal possession of firearms charges would be filed against Cuizon on Monday, Oct. 17.

The suspect was identified after the mother of the victim and her brother saw the suspect’s face when they found him inside the room looking for valuables.

The victim’s mother and brother recognized Cuizon as he lived near where their rented room was.

Jamiri said that investigation showed that Cuizon was caught by the victim’s mother at dawn, who was awakened by some noise as the suspect was trying to find things to steal inside their rented room. The door of their room at that time was not locked.

Cuizon then rushed outside when he was caught redhanded for trying to steal something inside the room.

The victim’s brother gave chase and the victim, Selim, followed her brother a few minutes later.

Unfortunately, the suspect hid in a dark portion in houses nearby the victim’s rented room.

And as he tried to get out from his hiding place to make good his escape, he ran into the victim, who was also rushing out to help her brother chase the burglar.

Selim then tried to grab the suspected thief, but she failed to get hold of him, and instead, the suspected thief pulled out his gun and shot Selim on the shoulder.

Cuizon then fled, leaving the wounded victim there, and he made good his escape.

The arrested Cuizon was detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station detention facility pending the filing of charges.

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