American tourist, 56, fatally shot in front of distraught partner after withdrawing money from ATM in the Philippines

American tourist, 56, fatally shot in front of distraught partner after withdrawing money from ATM in the Philippines


A Boston man was mugged and fatally shot in front of his distraught partner while vacationing in the Philippines — on the same crime-ridden island where a young American YouTuber was abducted from last year, authorities said.

Ralph Manecke, 56, was gunned down by a helmet-wearing perp in the town of Trento on Wednesday night while he was withdrawing roughly $800 cash from an ATM, according to local cops.

The suspect jumped out of an SUV just as Manecke and his partner Jerald Ceasar Tornea, a Filipino native, had put the wads of money inside their bag, police said.


Ralph Manecke, 56, (right) was gunned down by a helmet-wearing perp in the town of Trento, Philippines, on Wednesday night while vacationing with his partner, Jerald Ceasar Tornea (left). Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

The masked robber then yanked the bag from Tornea and fired a single gunshot into Manecke’s stomach before fleeing the scene.

“While we were withdrawing, an SUV drove up next to us and a man stepped out of it,” Tornea told cops in the aftermath, according to the police report.

“He greeted us a good evening but I was taken aback when I saw he was pointing a gun at us. He warned my partner not to move. I couldn’t do anything. My entire body felt numb,” he continued.


Heartbreaking video showed Manecke's distraught partner cradling his body in the aftermath of the shooting.
Heartbreaking video showed a sobbing Tornea cradling Manecke’s body after the shooting. Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

“I dropped to the ground, and the man grabbed the bag from me. Then I heard a gunshot.”

Heartbreaking footage captured by horrified witnesses showed a sobbing Tornea cradling his partner’s lifeless body in the middle of the street before police arrived on the scene.

Manecke was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Authorities are still probing the fatal mugging.

The ordeal unfolded on the same southern Mindanao island where Elliot Onil Eastman, a 26-year-old from Vermont, was kidnapped at gunpoint last October.

Eastman, a newlywed YouTuber, was ambushed from his in-laws’ home before being dragged off to waiting motorboat.

He still hasn’t been found.



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Liam Redmond

As an editor at Forbes Washington DC, I specialize in exploring business innovations and entrepreneurial success stories. My passion lies in delivering impactful content that resonates with readers and sparks meaningful conversations.

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