Boy’s death by ‘air pump’

The Quezon City police have arrested a gasoline station worker on allegations that he, in a fit of anger, caused the death of a 4-year-old boy by pumping air into the child’s anus using a compressor hose.

Jeffry Namoco, 21, a resident of Barangay Culiat, is facing homicide charges over the death of Jevy Millanila of Barangay Maharlika.

SPO1 Cristituto Zaldarriaga said the complaint against Namoco was so far solely based on what investigators learned from the victim’s elder brother Resty, 8.

The officer said the boy was seen playing with the air compressor hose used to inflate tires at the Caltex station at the corner of Retiro and Kanlaon Streets in Maharlika around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. This may have irked Namoco, who worked at the station’s car wash, Zaldariagga said.

Resty, who was also at the station, claimed to have seen Namoco scolding his younger brother, then getting hold of the hose and “pointing it” toward the victim, Zaldarriaga said.

Moments later, Resty saw Jevy fall to the ground.

Jevy’s parents rushed him to Sta. Teresita Hospital, where the boy died 12 hours later during treatment.

Pending the results of an autopsy, Zaldarriaga said an initial investigation showed that the boy died with his stomach filled with air.

The officer said Namoco, who remained in detention at Camp Karingal, confirmed that he scolded Jevy for playing with the hose and that the boy did fall to the ground, but spoke no more of the incident.