Distraught lover takes girlfriend’s family hostage, slashing brother-in-law

distraught lover
Distraught lover takes girlfriend’s family hostage, slashing brother-in-law in Gumaca, Quezon.

A distraught lover, who was abandoned by his live-in partner the day before Valentine’s Day, slashed his brother-in-law in the neck and took the other members of the family hostage at their home in Gumaca, Quezon.

Wilson Hidalgo, aged 32, surrendered to the police after 10 hours of negotiations.

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Police say Hidalgo’s act was triggered by the latter’s problem with his partner, a mother of three to her first love. The woman, he said, finally called it quits and left him on February 13. But it was not clear if there was a third party involved.

At exactly 9.30pm on Sunday, Leogo said Hidalgo, who was armed with a bolo and visibly drunk, arrived home and without saying a word hacked 21-year-old Arnel Abrenica, his live-in partner’s younger brother, who sustained a severe wound in the neck.

Minutes later, police said Hidalgo shut the house main door and took his partner’s mother, Maria Amy Abrenica, aged 52, sister Lyka Abrenica, 16, sons Dexter, eight, Ian, seven, and daughter Lean, five, all hostage.

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The police said they immediately formed a crisis management committee and started negotiating with Hidalgo, but he remained unresponsive due to his drunken state.

“My men were all in position for possible assault but we preferred to settle it without using force to assure the safety of all the hostages,” said Leogo over the phone.

After almost 10 hours of hostage crisis, police said Hidalgo finally surrendered at 7am yesterday, leaving all the hostages unharmed.

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The suspect was arrested and is now detained in the municipal jail. He will be charged with frustrated homicide, serious illegal detention and other noted offences related to Republic Act 7610.

Hidalgo isn’t the first person to lose their head over love…

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