Limes’ husband also beat up, threatened to kill neighbor in 2013

Sylvestre Rogopes Sablan, a 43-year-old jobless man tagged by police investigators as a person of interest in the murder of his wife, Ana Maria Limes, was convicted in 2013 for beating and threatening to kill his neighbor in Oleai.

According to court records, on Oct. 4, 2013, Sablan pleaded guilty to assault and battery and was slapped with a five-day prison term, with credit for three days of time served. He was placed on a year of supervised release.

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman also ordered Sablan to complete anger management counseling and any other counseling recommended by the treatment provider of the Office of Adult Probation.

On Sept. 3, 2014, Wiseman terminated Sablan’s probation after he was found in full compliance with his probation conditions.

Police detective Olympio S. Muña stated in his report that a police officer responded to a reported disturbance near the Oleai Store in San Jose on June 30, 2013, at 4:30pm.

Muña said the officer met with the victim, Eduardo F. Avilles, who, while in his car, was repeatedly punched by a man, later identified as Sablan.

Muña said that on July 10, 2013, he and another detective went to the Oleai Store, where they viewed the footage of a surveillance camera about the beating.

Muña said they were viewing the footage when a certain Matt Lisua came into the store and saw them viewing the footage. Lisua recognized the man in the video as his uncle, Sablan, who according to him drives the same vehicle that is shown in the footage.

In their interview with the victim, Avilles told police he had gone to the Oleai Store on June 30, 2013, at 4:30pm to buy a drink for his son. When he went outside, he noticed a gray Kia Soul car blocking his vehicle.

Avilles said he honked his horn, but the Kia Soul did not move. He tried to maneuver his car, but failed because there was another vehicle parked next to his.

When Avilles honked the horn again, a man whom he later identified as Sablan approached, yelled a profanity, and started punching him on the left side of his body more than three times.

Avilles said he was helpless because he was wearing his seatbelt and was stepping on the brakes as his car was in reverse.

Sablan walked away, then returned and confronted Avilles if he would call the police. Sablan attempted to punch him again, but the victim managed to evade the attack this time.

Sablan then threatened that he would return and kill Avilles. When Sablan drove off, the victim jotted down the license plate, ACH-137.

A witness told police that he saw Avilles bleeding on the head after the beating.

The witness and another witness told police that before the suspect left in a gray car, he shouted at the victim “You go back to your island. Filipinos do not belong here. I’ll come back and kill you.”

On Tuesday night, police arrested Sablan for illegal possession of a controlled substance, disturbing the peace, and criminal trespass for allegedly harassing the Lisua family in Oleai on Sunday midnight.

At a bail hearing on Wednesday, assistant attorney general Chester Hinds revealed that Sablan is a person of interest in the murder of his wife, Limes.

Limes, 52, a former staff assistant of Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP), was found dead inside her house in Oleai on Monday shortly after noon.

Police said Limes showed signs of having been deceased for some time already, with fatal injuries to the head.

Police detective Rudolfo Saures Hermosilla Jr. stated in his report that when a police officer arrested Sablan on Sunday over the disturbance at Lisua family’s house, he noticed what appeared to be bloodstains on Sablan’s pants. The officer also saw scratches on Sablan’s abdomen.

As of yesterday, no charges had been filed against Sablan over the murder of Limes.