Calm, as cold as ice. This is how a 47-year-old man allegedly stood in front of his ex-partner in her Vienna tobacconist’s at noon on Friday. He came to wipe out a life – that of the 35-year-old businesswoman. She was poured over with petrol and set on fire. The woman survived with serious injuries. On Friday evening, the getaway of the suspect ended, he was arrested by the special unit WEGA.
A deafening bang, flames and a huge cloud of smoke – a major operation for the rescue services, fire brigade and police in the Vienna district of Alsergrund on Friday afternoon. Passers-by had to watch as a burning woman staggered out of a tobacconist. It was Nadine W. (35), the owner – popular and respected in the neighbourhood. She ran, stumbled, screamed for her life. “The seriously injured victim ran into the street, where an ambulance of the Samariterbund just happened to be,” said Andreas Huber, spokesman of the Vienna Professional Rescue Service. The rescuers immediately rushed to the victim and extinguished the flames with blankets. The alarmed emergency services took the life-threateningly injured woman to the hospital in a speedy drive. On the way there, the tobacconist was able to mutter a few crucial words: the name of her alleged attacker.
“The seriously injured woman stated that the perpetrator was supposed to be her ex,” said police spokesperson Daniel Fürst. But at first there was no trace of the Austrian citizen with Egyptian roots.
Eventually, however, the police pressure to find the 47-year-old became too high for him. According to the police, he called 911 himself around 4.15 p.m. and gave his whereabouts. He was then arrested by WEGA officers outside in the Lobau district of Donaustadt without resisting, police spokeswoman Barbara Gass reported. The man has not yet been questioned, so his responsibility remained unclear for the time being.