Overview

• Police say a fire was set beneath the bench where a 61-year-old slept at the 'Burgruine' bus stop on Dumberger Straße shortly after 2 a.m. on 23 September.
• The man woke in time and was not injured because the blaze had not spread to his clothing.
• A homicide commission was formed the same night, and officers documented numerous threats written in red at the scene.
• A witness connected the suspect to the hate messages, and investigators later tied him to an earlier dispute with the victim.
• Officers arrested the Essen resident on Wednesday, seized evidence, and he is now in pre-trial detention on an attempted murder charge.