Operatives of the San Andres Police Station has apprehended the town’s No. 1 Most Wanted in faraway Quezon province, nearly two decades after the farmer from barangay Rizal hacked two elderly relatives.
The successful manhunt operation supervised by police chief Maj. Francis T. Tabo I, together with elements of the Lucban police station, led to the arrest of Jaime Sorreda Cavada at sitio Gasangan, barangay Palola, Lucban, Quezon at 10 AM of Oct. 2, 2025.
The 53-year-old man was the subject of an alias warrant of arrest issued by then Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 Presiding Judge Genie G. Gapas-Agbada on May 12, 2008 in connection with Criminal Case No. 3766 for frustrated murder and Criminal Case 3690 for frustrated homicide.
After being read his rights under the Miranda Doctrine, Cavada was brought by the arresting team to the Lucban Rural Health Unit for medical examination before being detained for proper disposition and prior to transport to Catanduanes to face the charges against him.
His apprehension is part of the heightened campaign of the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office under the leadership of Provincial Director Col. Elmer R. Cereno against wanted persons to ensure that justice will be served to their victims.
Records show that on Sept. 24, 2006 at 3:20 PM in barangay Rizal, San Andres, Jaime Cavada, using a grass sickle (karit) struck his aunt, Ma. Severa Cavada, 69, several times, causing injuries on her back, right arm, right forearm and right leg.
Jaime’s wife Emma prevented him from inflicting more injuries on the old woman and he went home, giving the victim a chance to enter her house.
Some 10 minutes later, the accused came back and was heard hitting the back door of the house with a hard object, prompting the victim’s brother, Jose, 70, to shout for help.
When Jaime failed to enter the house, he left but returned armed with an ax which he used to destroy the back door of Jose’s house.
While a neighbor was trying to pacify Jaime, Jose, his two sisters – the injured Ma. Severa and Rosario, as well as a little boy, got out of the house and called a tricycle.
As Jose was helping his bleeding sister in boarding the tricycle, Jaime ran towards Jose who then tried to run away.
Upon catching up with the fleeing uncle, Jaime stabbed and hacked him several times with the use of a bolo and the “karit.”
Jose and Ma. Severa were subsequently treated at the nearest hospital, with the police filing twin charges of frustrated murder against Jaime Cavada.
Apparently, he fled the province after then Provincial Prosecutor Eugenio Abion found probable cause to file separate charges of frustrated murder and frustrated homicide against Cavada.
The resolution said the accused with intent to kill, treachery, and abuse of superior strength, willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously attack, assault and strike with the use of a “karit” Ma. Severa Cavada, inflicting serious wounds, which could have produced the crime of murder had it not been for timely and able medical assistance.
A similar charge for the attack on Jose Cavada was downgraded to frustrated homicide.