A 30-year-old American man has been arrested in Germany after police said he assaulted two young female tourists and pushed them into a deep ravine near the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, killing one of them.
The violent attack took place Wednesday afternoon near the Marienbruecke bridge spanning a gorge, which offers a world-famous view of the castle.
Police said in a statement that the suspect, who has not been identified, met the two fellow tourists, ages 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to an overlook.
The man then attacked the younger of the two women, police said.
When her friend tried to intervene, the American allegedly choked her and pushed her down a steep slope.
The suspect then allegedly tried to sexually assault the 21-year-old woman, before shoving her into the ravine as well.
She plummeted 164 feet and landed near her friend.
Mountain rescuers were able to reach both women at the bottom of the gorge.
The 22-year-old victim was “responsive” and taken to a hospital, police said.
A helicopter airlifted the 21-year-old woman to a different hospital with serious injuries, and she died there overnight.
The suspect fled the scene but was quickly apprehended nearby.
Bystander video posted on Twitter showed cops leading away a handcuffed man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.
Witness Eric Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh who shot the video, said the man appeared to have scratches across his face.
“He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth; he didn’t mumble,” Abneri told The Associated Press. “He just walked with the police and that was it.”
Abneri said he and friends reached the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived and they witnessed rescuers lower themselves down to the victims.
“I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said.
Abneri described it as “a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill.”
“They did an unbelievable job,” he said.
Police confirmed that the man they arrested was an American national and described him as a tourist.
Prosecutors said the victims were fellow US citizens.
The 22-year-old who survived the fall remained hospitalized Thursday.
Authorities didn’t identify anyone involved in the fatal incident or give any further details.
Police said a judge on Thursday ordered the suspect jailed pending a potential indictment — a process that can take months.
The 30-year-old is facing charges of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offense.
Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to reconstruct exactly what happened and called for any witnesses to come forward.
Neuschwanstein Castle, located in Bavaria about 65 miles southwest of Munich, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.
According the castle’s website, about 1.4 million people visit the picturesque site built in the 19th century every year.
With Post wires
