Two teenage U.S. tourists visiting Italy were arrested Saturday at a hotel in Rome for the brutal stabbing death of an Italian police officer that has sparked outrage in the country, USA Today reports.
The Carabinieri police force, in a statement, said the two American men confessed to the Friday killing of Mario Cerciello Rega, a Carabinieri paramilitary police officer, after being interrogated and facing "overwhelming evidence." Formal charges are still pending.
The teenagers have been identified as Finnegan Lee Elder, 19, and Gabriel Christian Natale Hjorth, 18, both of San Francisco, according to the Associated Press. Law enforcement has not released photos of the defendants.
Cerciello Rega was 35 years old. He had recently returned from his honeymoon after getting married 43 days ago. Italy's Deputy Prime Minster Matteo Salvini tweeted that he was a "a hero, a boy with all his life ahead." He added: "How much sadness," vowing to make the two Americans "pay dearly."
Mario, un carabiniere, un eroe, un ragazzo con tutta la vita davanti, era sposato da appena 40 giorni... pic.twitter.com/r2qY9bRecw
— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) July 26, 2019
During a search of the suspects' hotel room, police say they found a large knife hidden behind a ceiling panel, as well as clothing allegedly worn during the crime.
The murder happened after a drug deal went wrong, authorities say.
The Carabinieri said the two men had stolen a backpack from an Italian citizen and had threatened not to return it unless the man give them 100 euros and one gram of cocaine.
The AP quoted an Italian investigator who spoke on the condition of anonymity who said the man who had his bag snatched was a drug-dealer who had just sold the two Americans a different substance rather than the cocaine they desired.
The individual called the police after getting his knapsack stolen, leading to two plainclothes police officers, including Cerciello Rega, to confront the two Americans.
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