Police working to locate ‘Jason’

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

AUTHORITIES here are coordinating with the police in Cebu City in the hopes of locating the primary suspect in the brutal killing of a teenager in a hotel in Barangay Lapasan early this week.

Chief Insp. Ariel Philip Pontillas, chief of the Agora police, said that while investigators doubted that the suspect gave his real name when he registered as a guest in the hotel and when he introduced himself to the victim Nena (not her real name) and self-confessed procurer April Jean Albit a.k.a. Laling, they have reason to believe that the  man is from Cebu.

The suspect gave the name “Jason Caram” when he registered as a hotel guest, and introduced himself as “Jason Caramba” to the victim and Albit.

“Jason” was identified by the 19-year old Albit as the one who supposedly contracted her and Nena’s services on Sunday afternoon, the last time she saw the victim alive.

Police said Nena returned past midnight on Monday. Hours later or at around 6 pm, a roomboy heard a commotion inside Room 314, the same room where the teenager’s body was found past midnight on Tuesday.

Pontillas said investigators have continued to gather more clues and data in an effort to build a strong case against the suspect.

“Jason” has yet to be charged but police detained Albit on Wednesday, and filed a complaint for qualified human trafficking against her before the City Prosecutor’s Office after she confessed to arranging the meeting between Jason and Nena for a fee. She earlier told the police that she received P2,000 after she brought Nena to the hotel while the victim was supposedly paid P3,000 by Jason.

Pontillas said investigators were also able to find a receipt from Pure Gold department store on CM Recto Ave. at the hotel room. The receipt shows that a t-shirt was bought there at around 9 am on Monday.

He said the t-shirt the suspect was wearing in the security camera recording was likely the same t-shirt bought at Puregold.