CARCAR CITY, Cebu – The 40-year-old suspect in the abduction and rape of a four-month-old baby girl will undergo a psychiatric test to determine his state of mental health following his arrest Thursday afternoon, police said yesterday.
Carcar City police chief Jose Liddawa said the suspect, Jonathan Marfe, will undergo a psychiatric test following the incident in Barangay Perrilos that residents called heinous and barbaric.
Marfe, who arrived in the area just a few days ago from Katigbian, Bohol, was arrested by authorities based on circumstantial evidence that pointed to his involvement in the rape.
Liddawa said they recovered a carton with traces of blood inside Marfe’s rented room. A witness told the police he saw Marfe heading to the house of the baby just hours after the incident.
The baby was found crying under a coconut tree at around 1 a.m. Thursday by a neighbor. A medical examination confirmed bleeding in the baby’s private parts.
Marfe told reporters he did not do anything to the child. He admitted having a few drinks Wednesday night but denied he was not drunk and using illegal drugs.
The parents of the child claimed they were sound asleep when the baby was snatched. The mother said she was not aware that her baby had been taken until a neighbor woke them up following the discovery of the baby nearby.
Liddawa said they are looking into reports Marfe is facing cases of attempted rape in Bohol. He reportedly left Bohol after allegedly attempting to rape the niece of his wife.
The police will file appropriate charges against Marfe on Monday while the baby is being cared for at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.