ILOCOS NORTE — San Nicolas cops conducted a hot pursuit operation against an unidentified male who had allegedly stabbed Kevin Louise Deus, 29, a resident of Barangay 51-A Nangalisan in Laoag City on Friday morning.

In the official report of the Philippine National Police, on 1 September 2023, at approximately 8:20 a.m., Liza Deuz, personally reported to the San Nicolas Municipal Police Stations that her son, Kevin Louise Deus, had been stabbed by an unidentified male individual in front of a store in Barangay 1 San Francisco in San Nicolas.

According to the account of the victim's mother and his friends, they were purchasing liquor when two unidentified men, who had arrived in an orange Ford with license plate number IAE6527, confronted "Joel", a 29-year-old teacher residing in Brgy 52 A San Mateo, Laoag City. Without any apparent reason, one of the unidentified males punched Joel twice and retreated.

Deus attempted to intervene and pacify the situation but was subsequently stabbed in his lower left abdomen by one of the unidentified suspects. Following the attack, the unidentified suspects fled in a southward direction aboard the orange vehicle. The victim was immediately transported to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital for medical treatment and is currently in stable condition.

Following the report, personnel from the San Nicolas PNP conducted a hot pursuit operation to apprehend the suspect. Just a few minutes before lunch, they were able to arrest Mark Jun Arzaga, 30, a butcher and a resident of Barangay 22, San Guillermo in San Nicolas town.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Tribune, Arzaga admitted that he stabbed Deus. However, Arzaga said, in his defense, he was disrespected by the group of Deus which prompted him to retaliate and alighted from his vehicle and stabbed Deus.