Criminal record hounds suspect in Bolongaita robbery, homicide

The suspect in the robbery and killing of Marie Alexi Bolongaita in her home a week ago has decided against answering the criminal complaints filed against him.

As a result, the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office can go ahead and bring to court the robbery and homicide charges against Reynante Comendador Mabiar, 36.

It will not be Mabiar’s first time to face trial, although he used different identities before.

Police investigators have confirmed that Mabiar gave different names when he was caught after previous crimes, including a 2002 case of theft and a 2014 arrest for carnapping.

He was recently released from the Cebu City Jail.

A witness has identified Mabiar as the man he saw dangling from Bolongaita’s balcony before dawn last Sept. 21, a few hours before the 29-year-old cancer survivor was found dead.

Mabiar remained in a hospital, while Bolongaita’s cremation took place yesterday afternoon.

The police have described Reynante Mambiar, the alleged killer of disc jockey Marie Alexi “Maxi” Bolongaita, as a notorious thief who deceived authorities by giving different names after he was caught.

Mambiar allegedly robbed and killed 29-year-old Bolongaita in her house in Busay, Cebu City last Sept. 21.

Supt. Ryan Devaras, chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB), said the suspect identified himself as Renante Mambiar Mendador in his previous arrests.

The suspect, at other times, identified himself as Renante Mendador Mambiar. He is now facing robbery with homicide before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for Bolongaita’s death.

Devaras said that Mambiar, regardless of his real identity, will be prosecuted as there are witnesses and evidence.

The Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor is set to file robbery with homicide charges.

This, after Mabiar opted not to file his counter-affidavit, which would have allowed him to answer the charges.

The police’s Crime Against Persons Unit attached the affidavits of Bolongaita’s father, Alex, and another witness in filing the charges against Reynante Comendador Mabiar before the prosecutor’s office.

Mambiar, 36, a resident of Salinas Drive, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City was arrested in a follow-up operation by intelligence operatives from the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) and homicide investigators from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

Mambiar is in critical condition after he sustained a gunshot wound on his face, a stab wound on his shoulder, and lacerations on his body.

Mambiar’s motorcycle and bloodied clothes were recovered in his aunt’s house on Salinas Drive in Barangay Lahug together with the victim’s bag and cellphone.

A witness executed his affidavit stating that he saw Mambiar clinging to the second floor of the victim’s house past 3 a.m. of Sept. 21.

He said he saw clearly the suspect’s face because of the light from the electric post.

The suspect quickly jumped off from the terrace to his parked motorcycle outside the house.

The following day, the witness said he checked the house and learned that the victim was shot and killed inside her house.

Mambiar, who was recently released from the Cebu City Jail, was the suspect in several burglaries in Barangays Apas, Lahug and Busay.

Mambiar was also caught last Aug. 30 in Lorega by tanods for having two small sachets of shabu in his possession. /