KUALA LUMPUR – The Singaporean man who was arrested in Spain following the discovery of the body of Audrey Fang Dirou, a Singaporean woman reported missing last week, has been identified as Mitchell Ong.
The 43-year-old suspect who appeared in court in Spain in connection with the death of Fang reportedly knew her, as he had mentioned her to a former colleague several years ago, Spanish media outlet La Verdad reported on April 20.
According to The Straits Times, Fang, 39, went missing while on holiday in Xabia, in south-eastern Spain.
She was seen alive on April 9 at 8.45pm (local time) on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
The Civil Guard, which is one of Spain’s two national police forces, said information and images from CCTV cameras at the hotel showed that she was picked up by a vehicle when she left the hotel.
#OperacionesGC I Detenido el presunto autor del homicidio de una mujer en Abanilla (#Murcia)
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) April 19, 2024
➡️El cuerpo sin vida de la mujer, natural de Singapur, fue localizado el pasado día 10 de abril en una explanada próxima al estacionamiento de un restaurante
➡️Los investigadores… pic.twitter.com/zN8BBkWqPv
Her body was found the next day at a lorry park around 150km away, or about two hours’ drive from her hotel. She was reportedly stabbed more than 30 times.
The suspect was arrested in his hotel room on April 16 in Alicante, which is about 80km away from the area where Fang’s hotel is located.
On April 19, the suspect was escorted to a court in Murcia, in south-eastern Spain. He was photographed in handcuffs, being led by two Spanish Civil Guard officers.
According to media reports, Ong is described as being muscular with a taste for expensive clothes. He allegedly often stayed in luxury hotels and rented high-end cars.
A spokeswoman for the Civil Guard had earlier told The Straits Times that the suspect may have been in a romantic relationship with Fang.
“We are still investigating the motive for this killing. There are various possible motives, which could be economic or a case of domestic violence.”
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it has been assisting its Spanish counterparts with the case.
“As the incident happened in Spain, the SPF has and will continue to render the necessary assistance to the Spanish authorities within the ambit of our laws,” a spokesperson said.
Fang had travelled alone to Xabia on April 4. It was not her first solo trip.
She told her family that she might be meeting a friend in Spain, but she did not disclose the person’s identity.
Hotel staff alerted the authorities on April 9 when they discovered her belongings in her room. She had not returned to the hotel.
Fang’s family filed a report on April 11 with Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after she became uncontactable since April 10.
She was supposed to return on April 12, flying home from Barcelona. Her brother made a police report that day when she did not show up at Changi Airport, where he had gone to pick her up.
Fang, who was single, lived with her father and younger brother. She was due to start a new job in May after a trip to Japan with her aunt and cousin at the end of April. – April 21, 2024