Robbery turns into kidnapping in Butuan City

BUTUAN CITY—Police are hunting a man who tried to rob his victim here on Wednesday but ended up snatching the victim’s daughter and getting ransom instead.

Chief Insp. Alex Celiz, head of the city police station 3, said the suspect, whose identity is being withheld pending his arrest, broke into the house of the Asis family in Emily Homes Subdivision here late Wednesday.

The suspect, armed with a .38 cal. revolver, roused Percy Asis and her daughter from sleep and demanded P20,000 in cash.

When Percy, who runs a tutorial school and is a supplier of medicines and medical equipment, refused to give money, the suspect snatched her 14-year-old daughter and fled using the family’s Toyota Corolla car, Celiz said.

Minutes later, Celiz said the man called up Percy on her mobile phone and demanded P100,000 in exchange for her daughter.

Percy agreed and dropped off the money on a portion of the national highway, near the Chinese cemetery in Barangay Bancasi. The suspect showed up and picked up the money.

An hour later, Percy and policemen found her daughter inside the Chinese cemetery while the suspect had fled on foot with the ransom, Celiz said. Franklin A. Caliguid, Inquirer Mindanao