Suspect in P15M burglary found dead in room in QC

A man being investigated by the police in connection with the P15-million burglary at the house of a Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) official was found dead on Tuesday afternoon, days before he was set to undergo a lie detector test.

Chief Inspector Ariel Capocao, deputy chief of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the body of 21-year-old Felix Nabat was found by a coworker.

Nabat worked as a houseboy for MWSI president and chief executive officer Victorico Vargas whose house in Ayala Heights, Quezon City, was robbed last month.

He and three other employees were being investigated in connection with the burglary because they were the only ones who had access to the master bedroom where the valuables were stored.

According to the police, Nabat had agreed to be subjected to a lie detector test this week.

His body was found by a coemployee, Gregorio Alo, at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday inside his quarters at Vargas’ house.

Alo told the police that he saw Nabat lying on the floor. He said he tried to revive him but when nothing happened, they rushed him to Malvar General Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by doctors.

Capocao said that based on their initial investigation, Nabat killed himself by drinking pesticide.

He added that they found inside his room a suicide note, a drinking glass, two bottles containing an unknown liquid substance, a 500-ml soda bottle containing water and a bottle of Malathion, a brand of pesticide.

The police added that scene of the crime operatives were trying to determine if the alleged suicide letter found near Nabat’s body was written by him.

Vargas had told the police that he lost P1.8 million and $20,000 in cash; a Mac laptop computer worth $800; a steel watch valued at P30,000; a Cartier watch worth P400,000; three Rolex watches valued at P1.5 million; and P10 million worth of jewelry.