Daven Tamayo

2 relatives arrested 6 months after killing of 8-year-old boy in San Pablo City

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17835217110651783521708583.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Authorities inspect the location where an eight-year-old boy was found dead in San Pablo City, January 11, 2026. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Authorities inspect the location where an eight-year-old boy was found dead in San Pablo City, January 11, 2026. <em>Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- The suspects in the brutal murder of an 8-year-old, Grade 3 pupil in San Pablo City, Laguna, six months ago are now in police custody.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/12/grade-3-pupil-vanishes-on-way-to-school-found-brutally-murdered-in-san-pablo-city-0024">READ: Grade 3 pupil vanishes on way to school, found brutally murdered in San Pablo City</a></div><p>According to PLtCol. Mederic Villarete, chief of the San Pablo City Police, the principal suspect, alias Lito, 55 and his 39-year-old son-in-law were arrested Monday night.</p><p>The two were apprehended separately on warrants of arrest issued by the court for murder.</p><p>After months of waiting, the victim’s father, Jun-Jun Suarez, said he never thought the day would come when their fight for justice would move forward, with those allegedly responsible for his son&#x27;s gruesome killing finally behind bars.</p><p>“Sa wakas ay mabibigyan ng hustisya ang aking anak na napakatagal na namin inaasam,” Suarez said.</p><p>Meanwhile, no warrant of arrest was issued against the third suspect, the 14-year-old son of the 39-year-old suspect.</p><p>Authorities said the teenager is considered a Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and will be placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in accordance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.</p><p>Villarete said eight witnesses identified the suspects—who were the victim&#x27;s neighbors—as the perpetrators.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/13/children-s-quarrel-seen-as-motive-in-killing-of-8-year-old-in-laguna-0049">READ: Children&#x27;s quarrel seen as motive in killing of 8-year-old in Laguna</a></div><p>“Walo po ang nagpatunay na itong suspek natin ay sila ang gumawa ng krimeng ito, marami nagsasabi sa ating witnesses na nakita nila, narinig nila kung paano namatay ang bata, duguan ang bata,” Villarete said.</p><p>“Nakita mismo nila na tinataga ang bata,” he added.</p><p>On January 9, 2026, the victim suddenly disappeared outside the family home while waiting for his father to take him to school in Barangay Santiago 2.</p><p>After hours of searching, the boy was found dead in a grassy area with multiple hack wounds to his head, neck, hands, and abdomen.</p><p>Police initially arrested alias Lito, a first cousin of the victim’s father, but prosecutors later <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/13/suspect-in-8-year-old-s-slay-in-laguna-released-police-1352">ordered his release</a> due to insufficient evidence.</p><p>However, through the joint efforts of the San Pablo City Police, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), investigators located witnesses who executed sworn statements linking the suspects to the crime.</p><p>Authorities said they uncovered multiple possible motives, including a land dispute and a long-standing personal grudge.</p><p>One alleged source of conflict stemmed from an incident in which the victim was reportedly bitten by the suspect’s pet cat, but the suspect allegedly refused to shoulder the child’s medical treatment.</p><p>Investigators said the strongest motive appeared to be a personal dispute involving the victim’s alleged playful behavior toward the suspects’ minor daughter and granddaughter.</p><p>“Sabi nila may kakulitan daw during naglalaro daw yung kanyang mga apo na mga menor din. Saka &#x27;yung bata ay allegedly hinihipuan daw, itinataas &#x27;yung palda, siguro larong bata, hindi natin masabi. &#x27;Yun daw ang nangyari kaya nagkaroon sila ng personal na awayan,” Villarete explained.</p><p>The suspects declined to give a statement when approached by the ABS-CBN News team.</p><p>Although the suspects are his own relatives, Suarez said he wants them held fully accountable for taking his son’s life.</p><p>“Panagutan nila ang kanilang ginawa, dapat lang dahil ginawa nila yun tinanggalan nila ng karapatan na lumigaya ang anak ko,” he said.</p><p>The suspects have been transferred from the San Pablo City Police Custodial Center to a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) detention facility to await trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qMslI_SJKuo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div>

<p>The suspects in the brutal murder of an 8-year-old, Grade 3 pupil in San Pablo City, Laguna, six months ago are now in police custody.</p>

The suspects in the brutal murder of an 8-year-old, Grade 3 pupil in San Pablo City, Laguna, six months ago are now in police custody.