Cops arrest man linked to woman found dead inside refrigerator in Rodriguez, Rizal

The police have arrested a man for serious illegal detention, who happened to be a person of interest in the case of a woman who was found dead inside a refrigerator in Rodriguez, Rizal.

In a 24 Oras report from Gabriel Gonzales on Friday, authorities arrested a 32-year-old man while he was in his parked car in front of a convenience store at Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City.

An arrest warrant by a Parañaque court for serious illegal detention was issued against the man, which was filed by his and the late woman’s house helper in 2025.

“Lumalabas po sa imbestigasyon natin na yung kaso po nitong serious illegal detention, ang nag-file po ng kaso na ito is yung kasambahay po nung biktima na natagpuang patay po sa ating area of responsibility,” Rodriguez Municipal Police Station Chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Arwyn Gaffud said.

(Our investigation showed that in this case of serious illegal detention, the one that filed this was the house helper of the victim found dead in our area of responsibility.)

The man is considered as a person of interest in the death of his live-in partner, the woman found in the refrigerator.

The body was found inside an apartment in Rodriguez, Rizal last September.

The arresting team brought the man and his vehicle to the Rodriguez Municipal Police Station. Police officers where they conducted an inventory of the items inside the car.

The suspect declined to give a statement to reporters.

“Well ang sabi niya lang po sa amin is, wala daw po siya sa mga oras na iyon, wala raw po siya sa area noong nangyari yung insidente,” Gaffud said. (Well what he said to us is, he was not there during that time, he was not in the area when the incident happened.)

The woman’s body was discovered when the apartment’s landlord detected a foul smell coming from the apartment. Police said the woman was strangled to death before her remains were placed inside the refrigerator.

“Hihintayin po natin ‘yung resulta ng DNA exam. After that, then we will submit yung case folder na yun, ‘yung complaint na ihahain natin sa provincial prosecutor ng Rizal sa kasong murder,” Gaffud said.

(We will wait for the results of the DNA exam. After that, then we will submit that case folder, the complaint that we will file with the provincial prosecutor of Rizal for the case of murder.) —Jean Mangaluz/RF, GMA News