(ZENIT News / Madrid, 11.27.2024).- After more than three decades on the run, one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives has been captured by Spain’s National Police. The man, accused of the brutal murder of a Catholic priest and the assault of a nun in Hungary in 1991, was arrested in Girona, Catalonia. Authorities had been pursuing him under European Arrest Warrants issued by Hungary and Romania for crimes including aggravated homicide and road safety violations.
A Decades-Old Crime Comes to Light
In August 1991, the suspect and accomplices broke into a parish in Paloznak, Hungary, in search of valuables. They attacked the elderly priest, Father Gyula Csontos, binding him to a chair and beating him severely, resulting in his death. They also assaulted an elderly nun, inflicting life-altering injuries. Reports indicate that the nun, who succumbed to her injuries years later, had been coerced into revealing the location of valuables in the church.
Years of Evasion End in Spain
The fugitive, identified by media as 55-year-old Romanian Viorel Nae, had evaded capture by adopting extreme measures to remain undetected. According to the National Police, he moved frequently and employed sophisticated tactics such as using applications to avoid mobile phone tracking.
🚩Detenido en la provincia de #Girona uno de los “EUROPE’S MOST WANTED” reclamado por homicidio agravado
👉Le constaban 2 OEDE´s emitidas por las autoridades de #Hungría y #Rumanía por los delitos de homicidio agravado y contra la #SeguridadVial, respectivamente, enfrentándose… pic.twitter.com/I4smIXt1AL
— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 25, 2024
In May 2024, Spanish authorities launched an investigation into his whereabouts. Initially tracing him to Huelva in southern Spain, they later tracked him to Santa Coloma de Farners, a quiet town in Girona province. To avoid raising suspicion, officers disguised themselves as municipal maintenance workers before executing the arrest as Nae approached his car.
Facing Justice After 33 Years
With multiple warrants against him, Nae now faces extradition and potential life imprisonment for his crimes. His capture underscores the relentless pursuit of justice, even decades after heinous acts are committed.
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