There is a lot of fear tonight on the Händelplein in Nieuw-Vennep. Many local residents saw the police arrest a man who may have killed a woman last night. The suspect was surrounded by the police on the street, witnesses tell NH.
The man’s arrest took place in a busy place in Nieuw-Vennep. There are many shops around Handel Square, including a large supermarket. Dozens of people witnessed the moment that the 36-year-old manwas overpowered.
Shortly before, nothing had happened, says Teralani van Rijn. She was standing behind the counter at a diner at the time. “There was a man standing here in the passage for fifteen minutes with his bicycle, but he did nothing remarkable. We didn’t recognize him either, but it is always busy with people here.”
Out of nowhere, Teralani hears noise from outside. She sees a large group of police officers running into the square. “Before I knew it, about fifteen people dived on top of that man. He hit our window, it happened very quickly.” One of her colleagues is just walking by and sees a large police force surrounding the passage. “Motorbikes and cars everywhere, they really had him hemmed in.”
It takes a few minutes before the man is taken away. At that time, Teralani and her colleagues did not yet know that the man was suspected of killing a woman in a train station parking lot a day earlier. “Afterwards it gives me chills, that that guy stood right next to you for so long.”
The death of the 59-year-old woman from the municipality of Haarlemmermeer is the talk of the town, say Teralani and the employees of the eatery. “It’s so bad, a very scary idea that there might be someone walking around,” says one of them. Teralani nods in agreement. “I’m relieved that hopefully they’ve got him now.”
