Grade 12 Student Found Dead in Toledo Lodging House; Police Identify Suspect
The police authorities have identified the suspect in the untimely death of a grade 12 student inside a lodging house in Cebu.
Authorities have identified the suspect in the tragic death of 18-year-old Grade 12 student, Mae Fatima Tagactac, who was found lifeless in a lodging house in Toledo City, Cebu. The victim had reportedly gone missing after telling her parents she would meet up with classmates but instead met with someone she had been chatting with online.
The suspect, Lorben Cabugsan Larot, also known by the aliases “Richard” and “Naruto,” is a 42-year-old man living near Pier 1 in Cebu City. Police were able to identify him through CCTV footage showing him as the last person seen with Mae.
The video revealed the two checking into a different lodging house, where they were turned away, before eventually settling in another establishment where the crime took place.
On Friday morning (September 20, 2024), lodging house staff knocked on the door of the room the pair had rented. When there was no response, a staff member entered and found Mae unresponsive, with a handkerchief tied around her mouth.
Authorities were immediately called to the scene, but it was already too late. The police have launched a region-wide manhunt for Larot, who has since fled his boarding house. His common-law partner was questioned, but Larot’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Investigations are ongoing, with law enforcement officials waiting for the results of the autopsy to determine whether Mae was sexually assaulted. Meanwhile, the victim’s family has pleaded for the suspect to surrender and face justice.
The police have also reached out to authorities in Misamis Oriental to verify if Larot has a criminal history in his hometown.
In a previous report, a grade 12 student found dead after meeting online chatmate
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