Man who took 5-year-old girl hostage was high on drugs, say police

Taytay policemen successfully resolved a hostage-taking drama on Monday night after one of its members overpowered a chisel-wielding man who took a five-year-old girl hostage.

Superintendent Art Masungsong, Taytay Police chief, identified the hostage-taker as Alfredo Plana, 43, who was just visiting his sister in Lupang Arenda. As he was walking on the street around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, he met a man whom he stabbed with a chisel.

Masungsong said that Plana later admitted to the police that he was high on drugs at the time of the incident.

“He thought someone who wanted to kill him was following him,” the police official added.

The man who Plana stabbed was identified as Salvador Verano.

He was taken to Amang Rodriguez Medical Center where he was reported to be in stable condition.

The police said that after the stabbing, bystanders chased Plana, hoping to pacify him.

Plana, however, picked up one of the children running about in the street and took her to his sister’s house.

“The negotiations took at least two hours. When I realized [that Plana] was no longer in his right mind and had begun hurting the child, I ordered my men to control him,” Masungsong said.

Policemen forced their way into the house where one of them overpowered the hostage taker and rescued the girl who was later treated for minor

injuries.

Masungsong said the Taytay police were preparing to file the necessary charges against Plana.