Violent fugitive who escaped Nijmegen mental clinic last June caught in Spain

Dutch fugitive Sherwin Benshomin W., who escaped from court-ordered institutionalization at a mental health clinic, was arrested by authorities in Spain. The 27-year-old had been on the run since June 21.

He fled the Pompekliniek in Nijmegen where he was serving a portion of his sentence after a 2019 conviction. A court sentenced him to 66 months in prison and treatment in an institution when he was found guilty on two counts of extortion and an armed robbery that left one victim dead.

Police in the Netherlands said they tracked the man down, and found him in Murcia. The Dutch police's specialist fugitive squad coordinated with their counterparts in Spain to make the arrest. Authorities in Belgium and Germany cooperated in the investigation.

The Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands will make a formal extradition request to authorities in Spain.

A relative of W.'s who was convicted of manslaughter in 2018 also escaped from the Pompekliniek's custody in November before stabbing his ex-girlfriend. The 31-year-old man allegedly slipped away while on supervised leave, and jumped into a car that was waiting for him. A short time later, a 27-year-old woman was found stabbed in Soest in front of her four-year-old son.

The man allegedly stabbed her to prove his love for his current girlfriend, Rijnmond reported. Three people from Bergschenhoek were arrested on suspicion of helping him escape. Those arrested include his current girlfriend, 38-year-old woman from Bergschenhoek, and her two sons, aged 19 and 16. The young man was believed to be the getaway driver, while the boy entered the home with the fugitive when the stabbing took place.