American national holds hostage apartelle employee in QC

MANILA, Philippines — A 57-year-old American national who was reportedly dumped by his Filipina girlfriend has reportedly held hostage an employee of an apartelle in Quezon City.

Reports from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Kamuning station identified the alleged hostage-taker as Robert Stasaitis, a retired US Navy man from Oregon.

Stasaitis allegedly armed himself with a knife and held hostage at around 2 p.m., Sunday, a still unidentified employee of the Paradise Apartelle at the corner of Timog and Tomas Morato Avenues in Barangay South Triangle, demanding to speak with his Filipina girlfriend who recently broke up with him.

Reports further said that before the hostage-taking, the drunken American suddenly entered the apartelle and initially threatened to kill himself if his ex-girlfriend refused to speak with him. He later on decided to hold the cashier of the apartelle hostage.

QCPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and operatives of the Special Reaction Unit have been deployed to the area. Likewise, Kamuning police station negotiators have been trying to convince the American national to set his captive free and surrender.

Originally posted at 2:37 pm