After almost five weeks on the run, the suspected ax murderer was arrested by Kalletal in the Lippe district. The 36-year-old was arrested in Brieskow-Finkenheerd, Brandenburg, near the Polish border, police and prosecutors said on Friday. He is said to have killed a 39-year-old in bed with an ax on June 18. Then he is said to have raped his ex-girlfriend, who had an affair with the victim and was lying in bed next to him, in another room.
Special forces from the Brandenburg police arrested him late Thursday evening, it said. There was also a close exchange with Polish law enforcement agencies. In the suspected case that the man flees to the neighboring country, they would have been ready to access the police and public prosecutor's office.
The police had explicitly warned the population about the suspect. It was "dangerous" to address the 36-year-old. Investigators assumed he was walking. However, there were also fears that the native of Azerbaijan wanted to approach truck drivers from Eastern Europe in order to flee to another country. An international arrest warrant was issued for him.
In the course of Friday he should be brought to Detmold and presented to a magistrate there. They will announce the existing arrest warrant for murder, the message said.
