Brutal murder of homeless man in Lyon could be tied to viscious attack in Rotterdam
Police in France are working with their counterparts in the Netherlands to determine if the murder of a homeless man in Lyon is linked to the attempted murder of another in Rotterdam. Both cases involve an assailant smashing a concrete garden tile or stone against the head of a sleeping victim.
The Rotterdam police are in contact with their colleagues in Lyon. "We are aware of what happened in Lyon and are taking it into account in our investigation," said a police spokesperson to RTL Nieuws. The spokesperson added that the cases are suspiciously similar.
The incident in Lyon took place on November 10, just five days after authorities in Rotterdam acknowledged the attempted murder on November 5. Rotterdam officials have since said they were concerned their suspect may use the international rail network to move around the wider region.
The body of a man with a Moldovan passport was found on Sunday evening close to a train station in Lyon. He had severe injuries to the face, and a concrete garden tile with blood on it was found near the victim.
French police have camera footage of the suspect but have not released these images to the public as of yet. They currently have no idea where the suspect is. "Whether the man is the same as in Rotterdam is part of the investigation," Lyon police told RTL Nieuws.
A homeless man was attacked while he was sleeping in Rotterdam last Tuesday. Camera footage released by the police showed a man dropping a concrete stone onto the victim’s head. Police have received over 50 tips after the case was featured on the TV show Opsporing Verzocht. Around 50,000 euros has been raised for the victim who is currently in a coma.
It was reported that the suspect was spotted in Breda hours after the incident. He is said to have taken an international train toward Antwerp and Brussels. Police have said that they are not ruling out that the suspect went on to another location after this. While in Rotterdam, he was photographed with a shopping bag commonly used by retailers in Luxembourg.
