Suspect arrested in Cuba priest murder: Church

Suspect arrested in Cuba priest murder: Church
Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:19pm EDT

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban police have detained a suspect in the murder
this week of a Spanish priest, the second to be killed in the island
nation in the past five months, the Catholic Church said on Thursday.

The suspect has confessed to the murder of Father Mariano Arroyo Merino,
74, whose body was found on Monday in his Havana Bay parish building,
the Church said in a statement.

No details were given about the detainee or possible motive for the killing.

The Church added that, despite rumors, the crime was not related to the
murder in February of Father Eduardo de la Fuente Serrano, 61, who was
found dead by the side of a road west of the capital.

It said it could "firmly express its rejection of any intent to link one
case to the other, or to give a religious or political shading" to the
crimes.

Police said "at least one person" has been detained and confessed to the
murder of de la Fuente, the Church said.

A funeral for Arroyo was scheduled for Friday in Havana's main cathedral
and afterward his body was to be repatriated to Spain, news reports said.

(Reporting by Rosa Tania Valdes; Editing by Jeff Franks and Paul Simao)

Suspect arrested in Cuba priest murder: Church | International | Reuters
(16 July 2009)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE56G0WA20090717