Man caught for murder of ex-girlfriend and her daughter

A 65-year-old man suspected of murdering his former girlfriend and her daughter was caught by local police Friday morning, according to officials.

Officers at Bangbae Police Station located the suspect at around 7:45 a.m. near Namtaeryeong Station in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, and apprehended the suspect. The police tracked down the suspect based on surveillance footage.

The suspect is believed to have stabbed the woman in her 60s and her daughter to death at a commercial-residential complex in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu at around 7 p.m. Thursday. He has been on the run since then, before being caught in a manhunt involving multiple police stations in the southern part of the capital.

The suspect was detained without a warrant, stipulated by Article 200 of the Criminal Act, which states that law enforcement officers can detain a suspect before getting a court warrant if there is probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime punishable by at least three years in prison.

Investigators found that the suspect and the woman had been in a romantic relationship, which she had recently ended. They are conducting further investigation to determine the exact motive of the crime and method in which it was committed.

Seoul Suseo Police Station in Gangnam-gu, which has been handling the case, plans to question the suspect and bereaved family members of the victims. It is also mulling requesting an arrest warrant, since a formal arrest warrant is required to keep the suspect in custody for more than 48 hours following apprehension.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)