Spanish police arrest man in case of American woman missing since April

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/11/spanish-police-arrest-man-missing-american-woman

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Spanish police have arrested a man over the disappearance of an American woman missing since April from a famed Christian pilgrimage route in northern Spain, a Spanish security official said.

Related: Warning to Camino de Santiago pilgrims after female walker disappears

The arrest came as about 300 Spanish officers searched the area where Denise Thiem, 41, was last seen 5 April in the town of Astorga. It lies on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, also called the St James Way, which ends at the Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The official did not disclose further information about the suspect and spoke on condition of anonymity because of rules preventing the official from being named.

Spanish TV showed footage on Friday of officers at a small apartment building taking away the suspect, a bearded man who appeared to be in his 30s. He was not identified.

The US embassy in Madrid declined comment about the arrest, citing privacy laws that prevent the disclosure of information about the case.

Thiem’s disappearance prompted safety concerns about the 470-mile (760-kilometer) series of pilgrimage routes, which end at the cathedral believed to house the remains of the apostle St James. Tens of thousands of people walk the routes annually. Some do it as a spiritual quest, while others go for a physical challenge or a holiday.