Navotas hostage-taker dies a day after stabbing partner

A 33-YEAR-OLD man who was shot by the police in a hostage drama in Navotas City died in the hospital on Saturday.

The police said Pilipino “Pinoy’’ Rosales was reportedly high on drugs and had not eaten for two days when he threatened to kill his 42-year-old live-in partner, Rosalina Castillo, because of jealousy Friday morning.

Senior Supt. Dante Novicio, chief of the Navotas City police, said members of the Police Community Precinct 1 were alerted to the commotion at the couple’s home on Marikit Street, Barangay Tanza, around 9:45 a.m. on May 13.

Responding policemen saw Castillo slumped on the pavement with Rosales poking a knife at her. It turned out that the man had already stabbed Castillo, 42, when the lawmen arrived.

When asked to surrender, Rosales first threatened to commit suicide by slashing his wrist but later attacked the policemen, prompting the officers to shoot, according to the case investigator, PO3 Paul Roma.

One of them unintentionally hit PO1 Ernanie delos Santos, 31, who sustained a gunshot wound in the right shoulder, Roma said.

Rosales, who was hit in the back, was treated at Tondo General Hospital where he was declared dead around 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The wounded Castillo remained confined in a hospital as of Saturday. Jodee Agoncillo