German fugitive arrested in Philippines, faces deportation

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine officials say they have arrested a German man wanted in his country for attempted murder of a compatriot more than a decade ago.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Thursday that 52-year-old Lothar Gunter Bebenroth was apprehended in central Bohol province on the German Embassy’s request. He says the fugitive has an arrest warrant issued by the Potsdam district court for repeatedly evading hearings in his court case.

He says Bebenroth will be deported and blacklisted as an undesirable alien. The German was arrested Wednesday after hiding in the country since May 1, 2014 as a tourist.

The immigration bureau says the Potsdam court earlier sentenced Bebenroth to two years in prison after he confessed to stabbing a male victim in the abdomen, nearly killing him, in December 2006.