Life-sentenced prisoner escapes during leave at German-French border
A 44-year-old man who has been serving a life sentence for murder since 2011 escaped during approved leave in Schmelz and is being sought in the border region of Saarland.
Life-sentenced prisoner escapes during leave at German-French border
A 44-year-old man has been intensively sought in the border region of Saarland in western Germany since 8 July. Imprisoned at Saarbrücken Prison since 2011, he fled during approved leave in Schmelz at approximately 15:00, according to authorities. They appeal to the public to remain vigilant and strongly advise against approaching the man directly. "Mario Stegnitz is currently serving a long prison sentence," explained Saarbrücken police headquarters, without providing further details.
According to various German media reports, the fugitive was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for the murder of a woman over 70 years old, which occurred a year earlier during a failed burglary. Together with an accomplice, he allegedly entered the woman's home through a basement window and was discovered. He is said to have subsequently strangled the victim with a jumper. Despite the severity of the offence, his sentence was to be reviewed for possible early release after 15 years in prison. In preparation for this, he had been brought to Schmelz.
According to Saarland's justice ministry, Mario Stegnitz had previously been granted several leaves, twelve in total including the one on 8 July. "These permissions served, among other things, to enable him to maintain family ties. All eleven previous outings proceeded without incident," reported Le Figaro. Two days after his escape, the forty-year-old remains unfound despite ongoing search efforts.
The wanted man is slim, 1.92 metres tall, has black hair, a black moustache, and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his left forearm and a scar on his right thigh. At the time of his escape, he was wearing a cream-coloured T-shirt, light blue jeans, and white Nike trainers, according to police. "Should you see or encounter this person, please contact the police emergency number 110 immediately. In any case, any direct contact is to be avoided. Police also advise against picking up hitchhikers," concluded Saarbrücken police headquarters, reachable at 0681/9321-233.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)