Call center agent nabbed at work for murders of wife, son

SAN PEDRO CITY—Police on Friday, Nov. 22, arrested a call center agent wanted for the murders of his wife and one-year-old son in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna province in 2016.

Lt. Col. Eugene Orate, Sta. Rosa police chief, said in a phone interview that Ricardo “Richard” Sta. Ana was arrested at work in a call center at Bonifacio Global City around 5:30 p.m.

Co-workers of Sta. Ana at first tried to stop police from arresting him but cooperated when shown a warrant for the call center agent’s arrest, according to Orate.

The warrant had been issued by Judge Gil Jude Sta. Maria Jr., of the Regional Trial Court Branch 102 of Sta. Rosa.

Sta. Ana is facing two counts of parricide for the killing of his wife, Pearl Helene, 29, and son, Denzel.

The mother and son were at home at the village of Labas when attacked by two men, who pretended to be internet repairmen.

Pearl Helene was raped before she and Denzel were bludgeoned with a hammer.

Days later, tricycle driver Ramoncito Gallo surrendered to authorities and said that Sta. Ana had hired him and another man, named Bryan, to kill Pearl Helene.

Gallo earlier said Sta. Ana wanted to exact revenge on his wife for allegedly having an affair with another man.

The Department of Justice in August 2016 dismissed the charges against Sta. Ana for insufficient evidence, but Orate said that additional testimony corroborating Gallo’s earlier claims revived the case.

Edited by TSB