Another suspect in Davantes murder surrenders in Cavite

CLOSURE FOR KAE NBI agents say they prayed before her coffin for help in finding her killers. An arrest made on Friday may be a sign that prayers are being answered. JOSEPH AGCAOILI

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — The fourth suspect in the killing of advertising executive Kae Davantes surrendered to authorities Tuesday evening.

Accompanied by his parents and grandmother, Jomar Pepito, 23, surrendered to Governor Juanito Victor Remulla in Cavite at around 6 p.m.

Remulla then turned him over to the custody of the Cavite Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and was held in their office in Imus City.

Chief Inspector Bernuli Abalos, the Cavite CIDG chief, said Pepito would be brought to the National Capital Region Police Office in Taguig City also on Tuesday evening.

Pepito, a resident of Bacoor City in Cavite, hid in his grandmother’s home in Amadeo town also in Cavite, according to Remulla.

“One of our village captains recognized him as one of the suspects. He helped convince the grandmother to surrender his grandson (Pepito),” Remulla said in a phone interview.

Pepito was the driver and errand boy of Shiela Mae Villa, the owner of the house in Las Piñas City where the suspects earlier hid.

“He said he borrowed Villa’s car that evening without telling the owner where it would be used,” Abalos said.

Davantes was killed and her body dumped under a bridge in Silang, Cavite on September 7.

The police are looking for two more suspects.