Cops arrest husband of slain policewoman, young son

Authorities on Sunday arrested Police Senior Master Sergeant John Mollenido, the husband of Police Senior Master Sergeant Diane Marie Mollenido, in connection with her death and the death of their eight-year-old son.

In Marisol Abdurrahman’s report on “24 Oras,” the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said Mollenido, who was earlier identified as a person of interest, will face charges along with three other suspects who have also been arrested.

Police said one of these suspects voluntarily detailed his alleged knowledge of the killings, claiming he was driven by guilt.

The suspect alleged that he witnessed the aftermath of the shooting at the residence of the two other suspects—a car agent and their partner—on the evening of January 16.

According to the suspect, at around 8 p.m., the accused couple asked him to go to their house. He said he waited in the garage.

He then said he saw the agent and a woman enter the house. Some moments later, the agent's partner came out and told him not to leave yet, and to help them.

Some hours later, loud music started playing in the house, followed by what the suspect described as gunfire.

When he opened the door, he saw that the woman whom he did not recognize had been shot.

When he asked what had happened, the suspect said he was threatened and warned not to speak.

Diane Marie Mollenido was found dead on January 24 in a creek in Pulilan, Bulacan, with a gunshot wound to the head.

Their son, John Ysmael, was found five days later at a calamansi farm in Victoria, Tarlac. Police said the child died from asphyxia due to suffocation.

The three other suspects were arrested on Friday in a residential area in Novaliches, Quezon City. Police said Diane Marie’s cellphone and P100,000 in cash were recovered from the couple's house.

Authorities also recovered a sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Pampanga believed to have been used to transport the victims’ bodies.

John Mollenido had earlier expressed willingness to cooperate with investigators. However, his legal counsel disputed the circumstances of his arrest.

In a statement posted on the Facebook page of the Rimandolo Office, the lawyer said Mollenido surrendered voluntarily and was not arrested, adding that no arrest warrant has been issued against him.—RF/MCG/BM, GMA Integrated News