Handcuffed rape-slay suspect kills self at Crame

A suspect in the rape-slay of an eight-year-old girl in Jaen, Nueva Ecija allegedly killed himself after grabbing the gun of one of his police escorts at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday night.

Larry Herrera, 50, who was in handcuffs, was about to be moved to the detention cell of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) on the building’s second floor when he allegedly grabbed the 9mm pistol of Police Officer 3 Felix Parafina and shot himself.

Parafina and Senior Police Officer 1 Grant Chaluyen brought Herrera to the PNP General Hospital where he was declared dead from a gunshot to the head.

AKG director Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao confirmed that Herrera was in handcuffs when the incident happened.

Investigation showed that Herrera had just attended his inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice after police filed charges of kidnapping and rape with homicide against him for the killing of the girl on July 19.

The victim’s body was found in an irrigation ditch in Jaen on Monday.

Witnesses told police that Herrera was the last person seen with the girl before she disappeared.

Police said closed-circuit television footage showed the suspect in the company of the victim.

Herrera was apprehended by authorities at the port of Puerto Princesa City at around 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Paraffin tests

Dumlao said Parafina and Chaluyen were subjected to a paraffin test to determine if they had fired a gun.

The police officers are being investigated by the PNP Internal Affairs Service, according to Dumlao.

He said Parafina and Chaluyen were not relieved from their posts.

“It’s not fair to relieve them pending the result of the investigation. They were just doing their job,” Dumlao said.

He said the suspect could have shot himself because he felt he was guilty.

Police said the victim’s family adopted Herrera after he transferred to Nueva Ecija from Palawan in 2014.

Ex-convict

Herrera had served time at the Iwahig prison and penal farm in Puerto Princesa City for qualified theft.

He was granted parole in 2014 after eight years in prison.

Dumlao said the incident was not a rubout, adding the AKG is open to any investigation.