FOR killing his former live-in partner, a company truck driver is now languishing in jail following his surrender last Friday morning.

Police Major Pete Tajor, Puerto police station chief, identified the suspect as Somersault Sambaan alias ‘Toting,’ 34, a resident of Purok 11, Barangay Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City.

The suspect is connected with Natures Spring Cagayan de Oro located at Barangay Cugman of the said city as a truck driver.

Sambaan is the primary suspect in the killing of Vernie Gumilao, 44, a native of Ozamis City but presently staying in an apartment at Zone 5, Tin-ao, Barangay Agusan, this city.

Gumilao was connected at the Bureau of Customs-10.

On Wednesday at 6:45 pm last week, Gumilao’s body was found by authorities bathing with her own blood while lying on her bed.

The victim sustained a head injury indicating that she was hit by a hard object or was banged on a concrete wall that resulted in her death.

Tajor said a day (March 23) before the victim was found dead, neighbors had heard a commotion inside the latter’s apartment.

“Nakadungog daw sila sa tingog sa biktima nga miingon ‘nia ka na sab?’ So, probably kadto iyang kanhi ka live-in iyang gisinggitan,” Tajor told reporters.

Police had a hard time entering Gumilao’s rented apartment because it was locked.

Last Friday at 10 am, Sambaan appeared at Puerto police headquarters to surrender.

He was accompanied by Marlon Miculob and Victor Udarbe, the company’s Assistant sales manager and East sales supervisor respectively.

The suspect, Tajor said, denied he was the one responsible for the killing of Gumilao. Though, he admitted that he was at the victim’s apartment the night the neighbors heard a heated argument.

“Iya man lang daw giwakli ang kamot sa maong babaye milakaw na dayon siya,” Tajor said.

Tajor said the couple was always in a fight due to the suspect’s frequent jealousy. The reason she decided to separate from him.

The two were formerly living together at Barangay Baloy but after their separation, the victim transferred to the said place.

In an interview with Sambaan, he admitted to reporters that he always received insulting words from the victim that caused him to be angry and would then be the start of a heated argument between them.

The suspect is now temporarily detained inside a mini-cell of the said police office.

Tajor said his office is preparing a murder case against Sambaan at the prosecutor’s office.