ILOILO — A 16-year-old girl, known by the alias “Michelle,” was shot and killed by a neighbor on January 24, following an alleged theft attempt at a sari-sari store in Barangay Igang, Pototan town.
The suspect, identified as 65-year-old “Jose,” reported to the police that he was awakened early in the morning by suspicious noises. He alleged that he caught a person attempting to force open the sliding window of his store.
According to a report from the Pototan Municipal Police Station (MPS), a confrontation ensued. Police Captain Beberly Cataluña, deputy chief of Pototan MPS, stated that the girl allegedly wielded a wooden plank and attempted to strike Jose.
“When [Jose] opened the door and saw the girl, she allegedly tried to hit him with a piece of wood. This prompted him to use his firearm in what he claims was an act of self-defense,” Cataluña said.
The victim sustained a single gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Jose, who declined an on-camera interview, told authorities this was the third time his store had been targeted by thieves, though the previous incidents were never reported. He maintained that he did not recognize the intruder and had no intention of taking a life.
However, the victim’s family is struggling to reconcile the allegations with the girl they knew. Her grandmother, “Nene,” expressed deep sorrow, describing Michelle as a child with no prior history of trouble.
The suspect is currently detained at the Pototan MPS and is facing homicide charges.
Police were still investigating the incident./PN
