Suspect in rape of 11-year-old special child killed by cops

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – A man suspected of raping an 11-year-old special child was killed after he allegedly engaged in a firefight with policemen in this city on Friday night.

Lucena police in a report said Michael Zafranco, 24, allegedly abducted and sexually abused his victim who was playing along the riverbank in Barangay Isabang at about 5 p.m.

After the incident, the suspect handed P20 bill to the victim and threatened to kill her if she would tell others about it. But girl still told her mother about the incident. The mother reported the incident to the police.

Lieutenant Colonel Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, immediately dispatched a team of operatives to arrest the suspect who also lives in the same village.

When Zafranco spotted the police officers who were about to arrest him, he reportedly pulled a caliber .9mm pistol and fired at them but missed. Policemen returned fire and hit the suspect in different parts of the body.

The suspect later died while undergoing treatment at Lucena United Doctors Hospital.

Investigators recovered the suspect’s handgun with four bullets and also found empty bullet shells at the area.

Citing information from some villagers, police said the suspect was a known drug user.