Caloocan police revealed that the suspect in a stabbing and carnapping incident that left a motorcycle taxi rider dead early Tuesday morning had travelled to Bulacan to look for a victim.

In an interview on DZRH's Balansyado on Thursday, July 16, Caloocan Chief of Police PCol. Joey Goforth disclosed that the suspect had not booked a ride through a ride-hailing app, instead contracting the rider through a verbal agreement.

After dropping him off at Barangay 20 in Caloocan, the suspect stabbed the rider to death and fled the scene on his motorcycle.

“Ang biktima po natin was contracted dito sa Bulacan, at nag-request po ‘yung suspek natin na ihatid po siya rito sa Caloocan, particularly po dito sa Barangay 20, at doon nga po, bigla niyang sinaksak ang ating biktima at kinuha rin ang kanyang motor,” Goforth said, confirming that the motive for the kill was carnapping.

The suspect was caught in Malabon City, where he had gone from Caloocan on the rider’s motorcycle.

Authorities have filed a robbery with homicide and carnapping case against the suspect, who is detained in a Malabon jail, the city of which he is a resident and where he is also presently facing a separate case.

“May lumutang po na ibang complainant na naging biktima rin ng suspek natin, ‘yung isa nga po ay taga-Cavite po,” Goforth added.

According to their investigation, the suspect had previously been incarcerated for a robbery case and had only been recently released.

Police have requested that he undergo a drug test, to which he declined. Goforth clarified that he has the right to do so, and that profiling remains ongoing.

Moreover, the suspect denied that the crime was premeditated, maintaining that he did not intend to kill the rider.

“Ang binabanggit lang naman po is hindi raw po niya sinasadya at nabigla lang daw siya. Of course, hindi po kami naniniwala doon, kasi kitang-kita naman po doon sa CCTV na ang kanyang mga action… may intensyon po siyang saksakin at agawin ang motor,” Goforth said, adding that, according to the footage, the motorcycle was seen circling the area, indicating that the suspect was looking for a remote area to make his move.

The victim left behind a “mentally challenged” three-year-old, according to the police chief.

The child is now under the care of his aunt, the deceased rider’s sister. The police assisted in his burial, and the motorcycle taxi company extended aid and assured that the rider had been insured.