Mother squeals, pins down stepdad for son’s death

After withholding information about the death of her 17-year-old son, a mother pointed to her husband as the one responsible for the boy’s death.

Mylene Perez told police that her son Jhon Michael Mina died after he was mauled by his stepfather Richard Perez inside their house early morning last Tuesday in barangay Punta Princessa, Cebu City.

Richard was arrested yesterday while attending the boy’s wake.

He refused to comment on his arrest.

Mylene had earlier told police that her son came home with bruises all over his body around 5 a.m. Tuesday and was told by the teenager that he got into a fistfight.

The boy was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center but died along the way.

Yesterday, police invited the mother for questioning where she finally came clean.

After the mother’s confession, SPO4 Alex Dacua, SPO2 Jay Yballe Sitio and other homicide police went to the Sto. Niño chapel in Punta Princesa where Richard was arrested.

“Kasal-anan namo ni tanan (It is all our fault),” Mylene told Cebu Daily News.

The mother said she, too, would sometimes hit Jhon Michael when the boy did not obey her order to watch over his siblings.

The boy was Mylene’s son from a previous relationship.

The mother said she and her son were arguing around 11 p.m. when Perez arrived.

The mother said the boy was punched in the abdomen.

“Nahinaykan lang to niya,” said Mylene.

Mylene said her husband was in a foul mood when he came home because he had just come from a hospital for a blood transfusion so he could sell it to buy food for the family.

SPO4 Dacua said Mylene would serve as a witness in the murder case that will be filed against her husband.