Man who held own kids hostage in Bulacan dies from gunshot wound

BULACAN, Philippines — A 49-year-old construction worker who held his four children, hostage, for nine hours and refused to surrender to police Thursday, died from a gunshot wound in a hospital on Friday, a few hours after the hostage-taking incident.

Police Colonel Alex Apolonio, Pandi police chief, said William Domer died at about 4 p.m. in Bulacan Medical Center (BMC) on Friday, August 27.

Apolonio said the suspect, who was armed with a bolo and hitting his children with a hammer, also threw sharp tile debris at policemen who were outside his house in Willowbend Subdivision in Barangay (village) Pinagkuwartelan at about 9 p.m. Thursday, August 26.

He held hostage his four children, aged 7 and below when police came at his residence to serve him a warrant of arrest for charges of the act of lasciviousness filed by one of his children at about 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Apolonio said he negotiated with the suspect but Domer remained firm and would not yield to the police.

He threatened to kill himself and his children rather than surrender and be arrested, Apolonio added.

Apolonio said they got an opportunity to pacify Domer when he was about to hit one of his children on the head with a hammer by attempting to shoot him in the shoulder. However, the suspect was hit on the chest.

Domer died hours later on Friday at the hospital while receiving treatment.

It was learned that Domer also has a pending rape case filed against him by his grandchild.

/MUF