A 10-year-old girl was found dead inside her neighbor’s apartment in Atimonan, Quezon, early Tuesday morning, sparking a police manhunt for the primary suspect.
The child’s family reported her missing after she failed to return home Monday evening, ABS-CBN News reported. Her grandmother had last seen her around 5 p.m., escorting her to the gate. Concerned, the child’s mother reported to the police when her daughter had not arrived by 7 p.m.
CCTV footage showed the girl walking near the suspect’s residence, but she was not seen again. Police conducted a follow-up operation and found the girl’s lifeless body in the suspect’s rented apartment, covered with pots and pans in the kitchen. An extension wire, believed to be used in the crime, was found nearby.
The suspect is currently at large, and authorities are conducting a manhunt. The victim’s body has been submitted for forensic examination. Authorities have not released further details as the investigation continues.