A 70-year-old woman was molested and brutally killed by a still unidentified assailant Thursday, in an upland barangay of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, the police said.

Chief Insp. Santiago Rapiz, Escalante police chief, yesterday said the victim, identified as Lily Santillan, 70, sustained multiple stab wounds in her body that led to her death.

Rapiz said the body of the victim who had been undressed, was found by her grandson, Mario Mahinay, in a makeshift nipa hut in Sitio Camayo-ong, Brgy. Dian-ay, Escalante.

Police investigations show that Santillan, who was living alone, was also raped, result of the autopsy conducted by the City Health Office of Escalante showed.

Rapiz said the barbaric crime may have been perpetrated by a person who was under the influence of drugs or intoxicating liquor.

He said the family of Santillan, who had abandoned her, wants to bury her immediately. Rapiz, however, said he wants to conduct further investigations on the incident.

Escalante police probers are still exerting efforts to unmask the assailant.

On the other hand, a prime suspect in the killing of a 49-year-old woman, on whom there was also an attempt at molestation, was arrested yesterday by a combined team of policemen and soldiers in Hacienda Salvacion, Brgy. Andres Bonifacio, Cadiz City.

Chief Insp. Noel Mana-ay, Cadiz police chief, identified the arrested suspect in the death of Sandra Palic, 49, as Christopher Bermejo, 30.

The body of Palic with hack wounds on her neck and chin, was found by her husband in the pathway of a sugarcane plantation in Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Wednesday.

Mana-ay said Bermejo was arrested yesterday after they recovered his bonnet, a key chain and a pair of slippers, at the crime scene.

The victim’s pants and underwear had been pulled down to her buttocks when she was found.

Mana-ay said the suspect may have been forced to kill the victim whom he tried to molest, after his bonnet was removed from his face and he was recognized by the woman.

Before the incident, Bermejo was having a drinking spree with the son of Sandra Palic.

Bermejo claimed in an interview with Bombo Radyo that he cannot recall what he was doing on that day.

His arrest was made by the Cadiz police, in coordination with the 6th Regional Mobile Group, 62nd Infantry Battalion of the army and barangay officials of Andres Bonifacio.

Bermejo is now detained at the Cadiz City police station jail.*GPB

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