August 7, 2019
Law enforcement records show a rocky on-again, off-again relationship between the two people accused of killing a special needs child this week in Colleton County.
Only months before Rita Pangalangan, 49, was arrested on a murder charge for the death of her 13-year-old disabled daughter, she was behind bars in Colleton County for another incident.
According to Walterboro Police, Pangalangan was jailed in January 2019 on a charge of malicious property damage involving vandalism to [Larry King's] truck.
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In fact, law enforcement records show Rita Pangalangan once lived with King at his Ruffin residence, but that was before King said the two ended their chaotic relationship in mid-2018.
After that break-up, Colleton County Sheriff's Office incident reports from June and July 2018 show deputies twice responded to King’s home to investigate claims that Pangalangan was harassing, intimidating and threatening him.
King told deputies Pangalangan came to his home once threatening to damage his belongings and property, and made similar threats over the phone on other occasions.
Pangalangan's alleged threats were in response to King talking to other women on Facebook after their breakup, King told deputies, adding that Pangalangan threatened to assault any woman she caught at his house.
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King requested police come the night of January 18 to investigate damage to his truck in the parking lot of the Barrel House, a restaurant and bar in Walterboro.
King said when he was leaving the bar that night, he saw what appeared to be a Snickers candy bar lodged in the opening to his fuel tank, resulting in $500-$600 of damage.
King believed Pangalangan to be responsible given her past threats, and telling police she'd been following him and driving by his home to keep tabs on him following their break-up.
Walterboro Police investigated and eventually arrested Pangalangan on a charge of malicious property damage. She went before a judge in a bench trial in May, but was not convicted, a SLED background check shows.
The pair appears to have patched their fractured relationship in recent months. Neighbors said this week Pangalangan often would visit King's Low County Highway home, with her daughter Cristina in tow .
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office say that when she visited King Monday, August 5, Rita Pangalangan left Cristina alone outside in a vehicle for five hours after arriving, checking on her only three times in that span.
Deputies say the child's disability meant she was incapable of caring for herself while inside the vehicle.
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