Man surrenders after taking minor hostage in Cagayan de Oro store

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A 28-year-old man could be face multiple charges after he took a minor hostage inside a convenience store in Barangay Kauswagan in this city, police said Sunday.

Supt. Surki Sereñas, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10) spokesperson, identified the suspect as Nove Salon.

“He could face criminal charges from malicious mischief, alarm and scandal, illegal serious detention, violation of RA 7610 to frustrated homicide,” Sereñas said.

Republic Act No. 7610 is the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

“The case will depend on the complainant,” Sereñas added. “But the PNP [Philippine National Police] could always stand as nominal complainant if the victim’s relatives refuse to pursue a case in court.”

Accorindg to Salon entered the Kauswagan branch of 7-Eleven convenience store and took a 10-year-old hostage at around 9:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The suspect did not make any demands and released the hostage after more than an hour of negotiation.

What puzzled investigators was Salon’s state of mind during the entire situation.

Based on a police report, Supt. Mardy Hortillosa, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Station, the suspect suddenly entered the store and went wild before holding the minor against her will.

Witnesses told investigators that, when the suspect entered the store, he was heard saying he was being chased by a police officer. He was brandishing a broken long-neck bottle and scissors.

“Not contented with his action, the suspect used the minor as hostage,” the police said.

The suspect the tied the hose of a fire extinguisher around the victim’s neck during the stand-off.

Hortillosa said Salon also managed to go to the store’s stockroom where he got a .38-caliber revolver pistol belonging to the establishment’s security guard.

Eventually, the suspect voluntarily released his hostage and surrendered to the authorities.

Police recovered from him the revolver, two live rounds of ammunition, a spent cartridge, a slug, a cellphone, scissors, and a broken long neck bottle.

It was not clear if it was the suspect who fired the revolver or if someone else had fired it before he got hold of it.

“There was no motive why he did it,” Hortillosa said.

Hortillosa said the suspect’s relatives told police he might have had a nervous breakdown causing him to act that way.

Witnesses also observed that the suspect appeared to be hallucinating.

“He seemed to be afraid of something. He peeked under the seats and at the ceiling. It was like he was waiting for something. But when daylight came, he calmed down,” Hortillosa, quoting witnesses, said.

It was yet to be determined if the suspect was under the influence of drugs during the incident, but Hortillosa said Salon could not be subjected to a drug test since his case was vnot drug-related. /atm