Beau Solomon Murder: Homeless Man Arrested in Death of American College Student
ROME — A homeless man was arrested by the Italian police on suspicion of homicide in connection with the death of an American student.
The victim, identified as Beau Solomon, a 19-year-old sophomore was found dead in the Tiber River on Monday after getting lost a few hours after arriving in Italy. He was supposed to take a summer class at John Cabot University, a liberal arts college.
The visiting student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison was last seen by his friends at 1a.m Friday at a bar.
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Police identified as Massimo Galioto, a 40-year-old homeless man. Galioto was charged with aggravated murder and is being taken into custody after being "seriously implicated" in the death.
There was a head wound and blood found on the teenager's body, making the investigators assume it was a murder incident according to Solomon's brother, Cole Solomon.
Solomon's parents, Jodi and Nick Solomon received a bank alert at about 4am and found out that thousands of dollars had been charged to their son's account in Milan. Another report claimed that €1,500 (US$1,673.85) was spent on the credit card at a Milan shop the following day. Solomon's wallet and mobile phone was also missing. The Italian police are expected to inspect CCTV footages.
Two witnesses claimed that they saw a man throw a person into the Tiber from near the Garibaldi Bridge the night Solomon vanished, a news agency said.
Meanwhile, condolences have been sent to the Solomon family due to their lost.
A statement from John Cabot University said, "We express our most heartfelt condolences to the Solomon family and to all those who loved Beau."
U.S. Ambassador John Phillips also sent his condolences to Solomon's family on Tuesday. "I was saddened to learn of the tragic death of Beau Solomon. My heart goes out to his family and friends. The U.S. Embassy stands ready to provide support to Italian authorities investigating his disappearance and death," he said.
Beau Solomon was the third of four boys in the family. His friends and family considered him as popular and a very outgoing person. His brother Cole recalled how his brother fought hard on his battle against cancer. His parents described him as a rule follower who has a great determination in pursuing his career and in reaching his dreams by studying and getting a degree.
A lot of people gathered for a candlelight vigil in memory of Solomon at River Valley High School in Spring Green, Wisconsin on Monday night.
