7-8-2023 (BANGKOK) The Koh Samui Provincial Court has granted an arrest warrant for a Spanish chef who is suspected of brutally killing and dismembering his Colombian surgeon lover in a hotel room on Koh Phangan island.
Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit, the commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, stated that the court’s approval came following a DNA test on human remains discovered by garbage collectors at a dump on the island last Thursday. The test confirmed the identity of the victim as Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old Colombian national.
Investigations have revealed that the two men were involved in a relationship for approximately one year prior to the tragic incident.
The primary suspect in the case, 29-year-old Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, has already been apprehended and is currently being held at Phangan station. He is facing charges of premeditated murder, as well as concealing and disposing of body parts to cover up the crime.
Pol Lt Gen Surapong disclosed that during questioning, the Spanish suspect confessed to the murder and dismemberment of his Colombian partner, remarkably appearing relaxed while doing so. Both provincial and tourist police have been working diligently to gather evidence in this gruesome case.
However, investigators remain skeptical of the suspect’s initial statement. Apart from the purported altercation that led to the victim’s death, there are indications that financial and property matters could also be factors in this heinous crime.
The authorities are yet to locate the body parts that the suspect claims to have disposed of in the sea using a duffel bag. An ongoing search operation is underway to recover these remains.
According to a statement given to the police, the suspect asserted that Arteaga had visited his hotel room on the fateful day and made a sexual advance. In response, the Spaniard became enraged, resulting in a violent confrontation where Arteaga fell and fatally hit his head against the bathtub.
Despite the suspect’s account, investigators are diligently pursuing all leads to uncover the truth behind this shocking murder. Pol Col Panya Nirattimanon, the chief of Koh Phangan police, revealed that the suspect is the son of renowned Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and actress Silvia Bronchalo.
Upon learning of his son’s alleged involvement in the murder, the actor was deeply shocked and is reportedly en route to Thailand to be with his son during this troubling time.
