T

he Deli Serdang Police have named a local housewife a suspect in the kidnapping and murder a 4-year-old toddler in Pagar Jati village, Lubuk Pakam district in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

Santi Magdalena Manurung, 39, was charged with the crime after detectives found evidence related to the case, including a cell phone, duct-tape and a cardboard box.

The police also found blood stains in the suspect’s house, some 200 meters from the victim’s house.

Police also detained Santi’s husband, Amon Sitinjak, 40, as a witness.

North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Wisjnu Amat Sastro said that so far the police assumed the motive was that Santi had taken offense to an interaction with the victim’s parents.

“We, however, are still investigating other possibilities,” Wisjnu told reporters at Deli Serdang Police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Deli Serdang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dicky Patrianegara said that Santi revealed that 4-year-old Selo was murdered by putting duct tape over his mouth causing him to suffocate. He added that Selo’s stomach was empty so he got weak easily.

“We are still investigating. If the victim was suffocated, then where did the blood stains come from?” he told The Jakarta Post.

Dicky said the Santi’s husband claimed he was not at home when his wife allegedly killed Selo.

“The husband also said he had no idea that his wife had hidden the victim’s body under the bed,” Dicky said.

Santi is thought to have moved the body out of her house on Tuesday evening.

Selo was kidnapped on Sunday afternoon and Santi allegedly demanded a ransom of Rp 2 billion (US$206,000) through SMS.

The toddler’s family filed a police report on Monday after failing to contact his abductors.