ORMOC CITY- A dispute between a tricycle driver and his woman passenger here led to the death of the former on Thursday (April 25) night.
Jessie Gaco, 40, now faces a murder charge for fatally stabbing his passenger, Jessa Mae Laurente, 29, during a heated argument along the highway of Sitio Palinpinon, Barangay. San Vicente.
Laurente, a vendor and a resident of Brgy. Cogon was pronounced dead at Ormoc District Hospital following the altercation. Both Gaco and Laurente attended a fiesta celebration in Brgy. San Vicente, separately.
According to investigator-on-case Police Corporal Joehanes Macalinao of Police Station 3, the fatal encounter occurred as Gaco, accompanied by his operator Joseph Latumbo, was preparing to return home after the festivities.
Both Gaco and Laurente were reportedly drunk.
Despite being unacquainted, Laurente requested Gaco for a ride to San Vicente.
However, matters took an awful turn when, upon reaching her destination in Sitio Palinpinon, Laurente disembarked from the tricycle and engaged in a physical altercation with Gaco.
Laurente even resorted to video recording their clash before disembarking and slapping Gaco.
Gaco left the scene momentarily only to return having a kitchen knife, which he then used to fatally wound Laurente in the chest. Despite efforts by responding rescuers to save her, Laurente succumbed to her injuries upon arrival at the hospital.
It was not clear yet what caused the altercation between the two which led to the death of Laurente.
Police from Police Station 3 swiftly apprehended Gaco at the scene, with a murder case filed against him.
((ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
