2 teens arrested for death of girl in brawl

MANILA, Philippines—Two teenage  boys have been arrested following a street brawl in which a 13-year-old girl was killed early Saturday in Quezon City.

Police said the fatality, identified as Jeslie dela Cruz, died at the Orthopedic Hospital at around 1:35 a.m., about an hour or so after being repeatedly punched until she fell to the ground, hitting her head on the pavement.

The arrested boys, Jovit Guerrero, 19, and a 17-year-old youth whose name was withheld by the police because of his age, were identified as being among a gang of 10 youths who attacked another group of teenagers going home from a birthday party.

The  brawl erupted at the corner of Riverside and Talayan Streets in Barangay Talayan past Friday.

Case investigator Police Officer 2 Rhic Pittong said that when questioned by policemen as to why he attacked the  girl’s group, Guerrero said his friends just felt like doing it.

Pittong said Guerrero’s 17-year-old companion was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and that the police was looking for their companions.

Guerrero alleged that it was a 19-year-old comrade who started the brawl and who punched Dela Cruz until she fell.

The suspect added that his friends and the group of Dela Cruz’s boyfriend had been at each others’ throats in past rumbles.

Police learned that both the victim’s group and the suspects were residents of Barangay Talayan.

Dela Cruz, whose boyfriend Paulo Tapel was with her, was just trying to break up the fight but was beaten up as well.

Both Guerrero and the victim’s friends were at the birthday party of another teenager at a house on Talayan Street.

But Dela Cruz, Tapel and their friends decided to leave since Guerrero’s group were staring them down. Guerrero’s group followed them outside.

The boys from both groups then engaged in a  free-for-all as Dela Cruz tried to protect her boyfriend by hugging him to shield him from blows, Pittong said.