Two weeks after his escape, the police caught the convicted criminal from preventive detention in Brandenburg an der Havel. The police arrested him on Tuesday afternoon, said the Ministry of Justice in Potsdam. He was brought to the prison in Brandenburg an der Havel. Justice Minister Susanne Hoffmann (CDU) reacted with relief and thanked the emergency services.

Police forces have repeatedly been deployed in the past few days to track down the wanted person. Dogs and a helicopter were also used. A nationwide search was carried out for the man with a photo and description. According to the police, more than 140 tips were received.

On Wednesday two weeks ago (February 15), the 64-year-old, who had been sentenced to a long prison term for manslaughter and sex crimes, fled. He was given permission to go to Berlin, accompanied by two law enforcement officers. In the Europa Center near the Memorial Church, he was able to escape while going to the toilet.

The man had been in preventive detention in Brandenburg an der Havel since 2017. The purpose of preventive detention is to protect the population from particularly dangerous offenders who have already served their sentence.