An alleged depressed farmer reportedly killed a woman and wounded three other members of her family in Barangay San Roque, Sogod. According to police sources the suspected assailant later killed himself after the gruesome incident at his own place at Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte, last July 23, 2023.
In a SLT phone interview, Police Master Sergeant (PMSg) Bernardito A. Garzon, officer-in-charge of the said case, thru one of the children’s testimony, said that at 3 o’clock in the morning, the two children, an 18-year-old son, and a 17-year-old daughter were awakened by the voices of their mother and father; then an intruder wearing a jacket, bonnet and combat shoes entered their room.
At 5 o’clock in the morning, a few hours later, the police found dead the alleged suspect, in a neighboring town, Tomas Oppus, which was later confirmed by one of the woman victim’s children, who insisted that the suspect wore the same clothes and shoes that the intruder worn while entering their room.
Police identified their suspect as Albert Escabosa, 47, a resident of Sitio Servanda, and according to their investigation was an alleged lover of the victim, Susana Sagaldia, 35, a resident of barangay San Roque.
According to the investigation, Escabosa and Sagaldia were reportedly in a relationship and had a child during the four year absence of her husband.
The suspect allegedly killed Susana and also wounded her husband and their two children reportedly using a sharp axe.
“Susana’s husband was imprisoned for a rape case and was recently released. Their biological child insisted that they should get back together. They were okay, but then this happened. No one believed that this would happen. Just because of depression and jealousy.”
At first, the police thought that the husband was the suspect because the daughter kept on saying “Papa” when she was asked on their way to the hospital. But the clothing items that the children saw on the scene during the incident were not those worn by their father, who was found wounded and covered with blood a distance away from their house.
The wife was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead after mass blood loss due to an axe wound on her neck; meanwhile, the husband is in critical condition and was admitted to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EMVC) in Tacloban.
“The two children acquired wounds on their heads. The girl was in good condition now and can speak, but her brother needs to transfer to another hospital for proper medication,” Garzon said.