German expat whose body was found in a torched caravan in Cadiz ‘was killed by man she met 24 hours earlier’

A GERMAN expat whose charred body was found inside a burnt out caravan in Cadiz was killed by a man she met just 24 hours earlier, police have claimed.

A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and arson following the horrific incident on on Cala Sardina beach in San Roque this month.

The victim’s charred body was found on January 9 inside a motorhome carrying German license plates.

The Guardia Civil was eventually able to identify the victim as a German citizen who had recently returned to Spain.

The force said witnesses had seen an individual fleeing the scene of the fire on foot.

The fire investigation unit of Andalucia’s Judicial Police reported that the blaze had been started intentionally in a bid to cover up the killing of the victim.

In a statement, the Guardia Civil said it analysed the last few days of the victim’s life, including her telephone usage and extensive CCTV coverage.

It said they were able to identify a 47-year-old man as their prime suspect.

The statement added: “He was a 47-year-old man who had met the victim the day before in Barcelona and who had travelled by train to Malaga with her.

“Once at the train station, they took a bus to Algeciras and from there they were taken by taxi to Cala Sardina beach, where the victim had parked her motorhome and where the homicide was finally committed.”

After hiding out in several towns in Cadiz, the suspect was finally arrested on January 25, with burns on his hands from the fire, police said.

The suspect is being held ahead of a court date.