Suspect in slaying of mom, kid in Laguna surrenders

FILE PHOTO

SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna — The suspect in the July 1 killing of a mother and her son in Cabuyao City in Laguna province surrendered to police on Monday.

Christian Paras, 30, turned himself in to Senior Supt. Florendo Saligao, former Laguna police director, in the suspect’s hometown in Agdangan, Quezon province, late Monday afternoon, police said on Tuesday.

A witness identified Paras as the suspect in the killing of Melanie Templanza, 32, and her four-year-old son, Rome Andrei. Their bodies were found in their house in Birmingham Subdivision in Barangay Pulo on July 1.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Saligao said Paras admitted killing the victims but told police that he did not know what drove him to attack them.

“He said he was moved by his conscience [to surrender],” Saligao said.

Templanza’s cousin, Edzen Agum, testified seeing Paras at the victims’ house in the afternoon of June 30.

Supt. Joseph Bayan, Cabuyao police chief, said their investigation showed Paras was Melanie’s college classmate.

Agum, police said, returned to the house the next day and found the victims, who had stab wounds in their necks. Melanie’s husband was reportedly away at work at the time.

Bayan said Paras took away Templanza’s mobile phone and jewelry and the family’s motorcycle.

He said they recovered the motorcycle after Paras surrendered.  SFM/rga