Farmer shot dead over stolen chicken

A 40-YEAR-OLD farmer was  shot dead  on his way home,  a possible  victim of a neighbor’s grudge,  in barangay Paculob, Dumanjug town, southern Cebu, last Sunday.

Romulo Talotalo was brought to the Barili District Hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

Police arrested his neighbor, Sosimo “Sosing” Pace, 43,  as the main  suspect yesterday morning.

Police said they are looking into  personal grudge as the motive of the crime.

The farmer was attacked  50 meters from his house around 11 p.m. after he came  home from a  basketball game in Cogon, a nearby barangay.

Police said Talotalo, who was shot in the  stomach and arm, ran to  his house and told his daughter, “Day, ipapatay si Sosing.” (Daughter,  have Sosing killed.)

The two men had an argument over a stolen chicken, said PO2 Florencio Flarion of the Dumanjug police in a phone interview.

The victim’s  neighbors recounted that Pace brought a stolen chicken to  the victim’s house last week where  both men had it cooked for a meal.

Pace, who is detained in the Dumanjug police office, denied any wrongdoing.  He did not resist arrest.

The farmer will undergo a paraffin test today to determine whether he had fired a gun recently.

Police said a murder charge will be filed against him today at the Cebu Provincial Proseuctor’s Office.

The victim’s dying declaration to his daughter is the main evidence in the case./ REPORTER RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL  with correspondent gabriel bonjoc