The 22-year-old man who was arrested in the night from Friday to Saturday in the missing case involving Gino van der Straeten (9) is known to the police and the judiciary.
The police are not making any further statements about the background of the suspect or what facts are involved. The suspect has been arrested for kidnapping and possible involvement in Gino’s death. He will be presented to the examining magistrate next week.
Press conference
The body found in Geleen belongs to the boy who has been missing since Wednesday. The police confirmed this at a press conference about the missing person case.
The press conference can be viewed here.
Body Gino
“We have searched with man and power together with the family and a lot of volunteers,” says Xander Beenhakkers of the police. “That led to a suspect on Friday afternoon. We found Gino’s body on the indication of the suspect.”
Judge Commissioner
Although the police already had the suspect in their sights on Friday afternoon, the man was arrested during the night. It would be Donny M., according to research by L1. Deputy chief officer Henk van der Meijden cannot say anything about the borrower. “The suspect is in restrictions to allow the investigation to take place as objectively as possible,” he says. “I can only say that the suspect will be brought before the examining magistrate next week.”
Playground
The boy, who actually lives in Maastricht, disappeared from a playground on Zonstraat in Kerkrade on Wednesday evening. On Thursday evening a scooter was found in Landgraaf that resembles Gino’s scooter. Clothes were also found Friday evening that may have something to do with the case.
Also read: Police confirm: missing Gino found dead
Body
On Saturday morning, a body was found in Geleen near a house on Opbraakstraat near Landgraaf, a relatively young part of the Lindenheuvel district. The police already took ‘serious account’ that it would be the missing boy. That is now confirmed.
Also read: Quest Gino: body found in Geleen
Clap for community
“It is a blow to the community and the police officers who have been looking for Gino in recent days. And that took a bitter turn in Geleen today,” says mayor Petra Dassen of Kerkrade.
Intensely bitter
“We feared the worst scenario in recent days,” says mayor Hans Verheijen of Sittard-Geleen. “It is intensely bitter when the body has been found in our Geleen community. This has caused a great shock in the Geleen community.”
Depression
In recent days, many people have searched for the boy. Volunteers who searched Kerkrade and Landgraaf for the missing Gino van der Straeten reacted with dismay at the discovery of a body on Saturday morning in Geleen.
Also read: Defeat of volunteers Gino searches
Photos on social media
Photos and names of the possible suspect are being circulated on social media. The police report on Twitter that these cases do not concern the arrested suspect. “We urgently request that these images be removed and not shared,” the police wrote.
Names and photos of someone linked to Gino’s disappearance are circulating on social media. This is NOT about the suspect in this case. We urgently request that these images be removed and not shared. The suspect arrested is a 22-year-old man from #Geleen†
— Limburg Police Unit (@POL_Limburg) June 4, 2022