Toledo City man beaten to death with stone; suspect surrenders

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 30-year-old man from Toledo City, Cebu is facing a homicide complaint after he allegedly beat a 25-year-old man to death with a stone, claiming he feared the victim was about to attack him.

The suspect voluntarily surrendered to authorities shortly after the incident and is now in the custody of the Toledo City Police Station pending the filing of appropriate criminal charges.

Suspect claims self-defense

According to the initial investigation, the incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. along Luray 1 in Barangay Poblacion on Saturday, July 4.

READ: Toledo farmer shot dead while trying to stop fight in drinking session

Police said the suspect, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, had left his house to look for his father when he encountered the victim along the road.

Investigators said the victim was shirtless and appeared to have a pistol tucked into the right side of his waistband.

The suspect told investigators he believed the victim was about to draw the firearm, prompting him to push the victim. The two allegedly fell to the ground during the struggle.

Police said the suspect then repeatedly struck the victim in the face with a stone before fleeing the scene, leaving the victim bloodied on the road.

Investigators later determined that the firearm tucked into the victim’s waist was a replica gun.

Victim declared dead

Police said the suspect later encountered his aunt and allegedly told her he had seen a man lying along the road with a bloodied face before returning home.

His aunt then alerted barangay officials, prompting the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) rescue team to respond and transport the victim to a hospital.

However, the attending physician declared the victim dead on arrival.

Responding police officers secured the scene and requested the assistance of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) to process the area.

Shortly afterward, the barangay captain informed police that the suspect had voluntarily surrendered and admitted his involvement in the incident.

As of Sunday, July 5, investigators have yet to determine whether the suspect and the victim had any prior conflict.

Police are continuing their investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.

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