Police identify alleged San Juan baby killer

Additional CCTV footage has helped the authorities identify the prime suspect in the death of an 11-month-old baby girl.

The baby’s half-naked body was found under a parked jeepney along Don Ejercito Street in Barangay Tibagan, San Juan last August 1.

The suspect, Arnel Tumbali, is a vendor whom witnesses say used to roam around the neighborhood where the baby and her homeless parents also hung out. He is said to be around 20 to 24 years old.

CCTV footage from along N. Domingo Street shows that Tumbali had watched as the baby and her parents slept on cardboards laid out in front of a bank. The baby had been lying beside her mother.

When Tumbali saw that the baby’s mother was asleep, he crawled to where the baby was and started kissing the child. He stopped when he thought the baby’s mother was going to wake up.

Tumbali resumed kissing the child. He left the spot briefly but he eventually came back and took the baby with him.
CCTV footage taken from a camera installed near where the baby’s body was found showed a man carrying her while walking along on the street at around 3 a.m. on Aug. 1. At around 8:30 a.m. that same day, a jeepney driver saw the baby’s body as he was cleaning his vehicle.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory, the cause of the baby’s death was a blunt traumatic injury to her abdomen, which also damaged her liver. She also had lacerations on her genitals, which indicated rape.

The San Juan City police have released a sketch of Tumbali and the city government is also offering a P100,000 reward to anyone who could help catch him.

Tumbali has already been charged with rape with homicide in relation to child abuse by the San Juan City Prosecutor.

The baby was buried last August 6 and her parents have already gone back to Cebu.