CEBU CITY – A 43-year-old public school teacher was fatally stabbed by her live-in partner following a heated argument over their dog in Barangay Tubod, Minglanilla, Cebu, on Monday night, October 6—just a day after World Teachers’ Day.
Melanie Lee Lastimosa, a teacher at Lawaan Elementary School in Talisay City, sustained multiple stab wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the Minglanilla District Hospital.
The suspect, Katherine Retita, 42, a lesbian, was arrested at the scene and is facing a charge of murder.
Police said the victim and the suspect had been arguing days before the fatal confrontation.
On Monday night, they fought anew.
Investigation by the Minglanilla police showed that the fight broke out after the suspect blamed the teacher after their dog was able to run out of their gate.
The suspect recaptured the dog but the argument continued at home.
The suspect, who was drunk at the time, went out of the house in the middle of the argument. The teacher quickly locked the door when the suspect stepped out.
The suspect kept knocking on the door but the teacher ignored her.
The suspect then tricked the teacher by pretending that she got bitten by a snake and was able to convince her partner to open the door.
Inside the house, the couple argued anew until the suspect took a knife and repeatedly stabbed the teacher.
Neighbors then called the police after noticing the commotion in the house.
Responding police later found the bloodied victim slumped on the ground near the gate of the house.
The house was locked when the police arrived. It turned out that the suspect locked herself in a room where she as eventually arrested.
The victim was brought to the Minglanilla District Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. (Calvin Cordova)
