Manduae rape suspect nabbed in checkpoint

CHARGES of rape and illegal possession of a deadly weapon were filed yesterday against a man who was arrested at a Mandaue City checkpoint for carrying a bladed weapon.

The suspect was later linked to the rape of a 15-year-old girl  who was attacked last May in barangay Casili by a man posing as a habal-habal driver.

Jaupe Urgello, 19, was identified by the girl herself, said police.

A second suspect, identified as Niño Cueva, 19, remains at large.

Urgello denied raping the girl and pointed to Cueva as the culprit.

Police said the rape was not immediately reported because the girl was traumatized by the attack.

She told police she flagged down a motorcycle on the road which she thought was a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) last May 14.

The driver of the motorcycle was later identified as Cueva.

The girl asked to be brought to her home in Casili.  On the way there, she was surprised when the driver picked up another man who was later identified as Urgello.

The girl  said she tried to disembark but was prevented by Urgelllo who pointed an  icepick at her.

The teenager was brought to a waiting shed where she was raped.  The girl said she tried to run away but was punched in the abdomen and fainted.

When she gained consciousness, the men were gone and she walked home.

Her parents noticed that she would often cry hysterically but wouldn’t say what was her problem.

When they brought her to the Canduman police station to seek advice, the girl  finally revealed that she had been  raped.

A policeman checked the Facebook account of Urgello when his features matched  the description given by the girl.

She was able to identify Urgello through pictures posted in his Facebook account.

Urgello was arrested last Saturday night during a checkpoint in barangay Cubacub as part of  Oplan Bakal Sita for carrying a bladed weapon.

The girl went to  the police station where she positively identified Urgello as one of her attackers. /CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA