Girl's murder suspect held in U.S.

MIAMI, Florida -- A suspect wanted in connection with the rape and murder of a British schoolgirl in France in 1996 has been arrested in the U.S.

Francisco Arce Montez, 50, was arrested in March on suspicion of burglary, trespass and lewd and lascivious behaviour in an unconnected incident, a Miami Police spokesman said.

Montez has been sought by police investigating the murder of 13-year-old Caroline Dickinson.

The teenager, from Bodmin, Cornwall, was raped then strangled on a school trip to Pleine Fougeres, Brittany, in July 1996, as she shared a youth hostel dormitory with four classmates

The French judge leading the hunt for the schoolgirl's killer last month named Montez as a chief suspect in the case.

The judge said the police "particularly" wanted to trace him from a list of around 50 people wanted for questioning.

The Spaniard, believed to work as a waiter, will now undergo DNA tests. French officials in Miami are believed to be liaising with local police.

The murdered girl's father said he would be adopting a "wait and see" attitude following the arrest.

John Dickinson, 43, said he had known about the arrest for some time and was awaiting the results of DNA tests.

He asked: "Why build your hopes up to have them dashed? We just have to wait and see.

"I am aware of the situation and the family are aware of the situation. We understand this man is one of 48 the police are looking for and we will be awaiting the results of DNA sampling."

He added: "We have every confidence that we have very good DNA evidence as to who the perpetrator was, so why build your hopes up? It is simply a matter of waiting for confirmation or otherwise."

An inquest last week into the girl's death heard two girls in the dorm were disturbed by noises coming from Caroline's bed but went back to sleep thinking she was having a bad dream.

Her lifeless body was discovered the next morning.

The inquest heard that the killer's DNA was found on Caroline's clothes but tests on nearly 3,500 men have led to nothing.

Recording a verdict of unlawful killing, the East Cornwall coroner Edward Carlyon described the killing as "the nightmare every parent dreads."

Montez was arrested by police in Miami Beach after allegedly breaking into a woman's apartment and attempting to commit "a lewd and lascivious act" while she slept.

Miami Beach Police Department
French Ministry of Justice

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