Homeless Man Arrested In Death of American Student Found in Italian River
A homeless man from Rome has been arrested in the death of an American whose body was pulled from the Tiber River last week.
Italian authorities say 40-year-old Massimo Galioto killed 19-year-old Beau Solomon just days after he arrived to Rome to study.
The Milwaukee teen's body was discovered Monday. He'd suffered a head wound and was missing his credit card and cell phone.
Solomon was last seen by his friends Friday morning at a bar in Rome.
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After Solomon went missing, about $1,700 was run up on his credit cards hundreds of miles away from where he went missing, according to Italian state television agency ANSA.
Galioto's arrest came after ANSA said investigators would check security cameras near the store for any possible image of who might have used the cards.
ANSA reported that two witnesses claimed to have seen a body being dumped into the river the night Solomon disappeared.
When Galioto was taken into custody, authorities said they "seriously suspected... aggraved homicide for futile motives."
The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where Solomon had just finished his first year as a personal finance major, offered condolences to the the young victim's family.
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"All of us at UW–Madison are greatly saddened by this loss," said Chancellor Rebecca Blank. "Beau was a bright and caring young man who lived the Wisconsin Idea through his work at Badger Boys State and his desire to travel and experience other cultures. Our hearts go out to Beau’s family and friends at this difficult time."
Since his disappearance, Solomon's family has revealed that he was a survivor of a years-long battle with childhood cancer.
Solomon's parents had flown to Rome after news of their son's disappearance broke.
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