The manager of the Nil Market mini-market in Houthalen-Helchteren (Limburg) has been placed under arrest warrant by an investigating judge from Hasselt. He is suspected of having stabbed an intruder to death on the night of Friday to Saturday.
The victim entered the convenience store on Saturday around 1:30 a.m. She was surprised by the manager who would then have fatally stabbed her.
“There is currently nothing certain regarding the course of events. The analysis of the surveillance cameras is in progress. The lab is on site to determine what happened and whether self-defense is justified”indique Geert Verheyen, le chief de corps de la zone de police Carma.
Self-defense is all the complexity of the case because the burglar was running away. “It is a qualification of the facts which is given by the prosecution on an ongoing investigation. In a next phase, we will be able to review the qualification. For me, there are still a lot of gray areas”explains Tom Van Overbeke, the lawyer for the manager of the convenience store.
The mayor speaks of a sympathetic man, known to all, and non-violent. “He was a respected and pleasant person. We don’t understand what happened that night. Guesswork is all we can do for now. The investigation is in progress”, concluded Alain Yzermans, the mayor of Houthalen-Helchteren.
The manager will appear before the Council Chamber on Tuesday.
