Caretaker ‘shoots’ teenager in Lapu

AN 18-YEAR-OLD man was shot and wounded by the caretaker of a private lot in barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday noon.

Raymund Baguio, a fourth year high school student, was wounded in the butt.

Police said Baguio and his two teen friends swam in a swamp in a gated private lot in sitio Timpolok last Friday afternoon.

The caretaker, Marcelino Ochea, 44, arrived and shouted at Baguio and his friends, urging them to leave.

Police said Ochea allegedly saw the three teenagers carrying coconut fruits while about to leave.

The caretaker chased the teenagers and fired a shot, police said.

Baguio  was bloodied when he reached home but he concealed to his parents what caused the injury. The teenager told his parents that he slipped and fell to the ground causing the injury.

It was in the afternoon that the teenager finally confessed the real cause of the injury as he could no longer tolerate the pain.

The victim was brought to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital. He was transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Police went to the private lot and arrested Ochea there.

PO2 John Carlo Jocutan said a charge for frustrated homicide will be filed against Ochea.

Ochea said he just fired a warning shot and denied intentionally shooting the boy.

Police failed to recover the gun used in the shooting as Ochea claimed he threw it away after the incident./CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA