86-year-old man killed in Bergeijk; Suspect arrested near Belgian border
An 86-year-old man was killed Friday evening in Bergeijk in what police are treating as a criminal incident. According to AD, the victim, who did not live on the property where he was found, was reportedly a family member of the residents of a farm and small shop at the Maaij, near the Belgian border.
Police received a report early Friday evening that a body had been discovered. “At the beginning of the evening, a report came in that a body was found under suspicious circumstances,” a police spokesperson said.
The Forensic Investigation (FO) team was deployed, and investigators examined the scene, including taking photographs of the farm while dressed in protective white suits. A drone was used to assist in the investigation.
Around 10 police vehicles were initially stationed at the farm. At approximately 8:30 p.m., four of the vehicles left with officers in helmets and headed toward a house nearby.
A police dog led officers to a farmhouse on Hofmanheideweg, just a short distance from the Belgian border. Initially, the house appeared empty, but a thermal drone revealed the presence of a suspect hiding behind the building.
The suspect, an older man, had been hiding in a storage area used for tools and tractors. He was arrested at the scene, handcuffed, and transported by police. Authorities did not release details regarding the suspect’s relationship to the victim or whether he lived in the house.
The area around the Maaij consists mainly of farmland, standalone houses, and other farms. Police said investigators remained at the scene for several hours and that more information about the case would likely be released on Saturday.
