By FREDDIE LAZARO & LIEZLE BASA IÑIGO
QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya — What began as a routine morning dog walk turned into a grim discovery when a couple’s pet led them to the burned remains of a woman in a vacant grassy lot in Purok 5, Sitio Dayug, Barangay Maddiangat, on Thursday, February 12.
Police said Robert Juvinal Candelario and his wife were walking their dogs when one of the animals detected a foul odor and led them to the site.
The couple immediately reported the incident to Barangay Captain Danilo Cabading, who alerted authorities around 8:00 a.m.
Responding officers from the Quezon Police Station, together with barangay officials, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)–Quezon, and a funeral service provider, secured the area and retrieved the body.
Investigators from the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Forensic Unit (NVPFU) processed the crime scene, collecting DNA samples, hair follicles, and footprint impressions.
Personal belongings recovered at the site later helped identify the victim as Elyza, 19, a student and resident of Purok 2, Barangay Maddiangat. Her identity was confirmed by her father and a friend.
The cadaver was transported to a funeral facility for autopsy and further examination.
Authorities are working to determine the motive and circumstances surrounding Elyza’s death.
Police urged anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist in the investigation.
