Taiwanese man held after Thai girlfriend found dead in freezer

Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) A Taiwanese man was arrested in Taichung on Saturday on suspicion of killing his Thai girlfriend and storing her body in a freezer at his workplace, according to the Taipei City Police Department.

Police said they found the woman's body during a search in Taichung on early Saturday morning after gathering evidence in the case. They subsequently located and arrested the suspect, a 43-year-old Taiwanese man surnamed Wu (吳).

A preliminary investigation indicated that the 36-year-old woman had been strangled to death, police said.

Wu has been referred to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.

In a statement Saturday, the department's Wanhua Precinct said Taiwanese friends of the woman reported her missing on Sept. 8 after she arrived in Taiwan and checked into a hotel in Taipei's Ximending area on Sept. 2.

After reviewing surveillance footage from near the hotel, police identified Wu as the man seen acting suspiciously.

Police said Wu was seen entering the hotel on Sept. 12 and was then seen leaving early the following morning carrying a large suitcase.

He placed the suitcase in the trunk of his car before driving to Taichung, where he worked in an administrative role at a technology company, police said.

According to police, Wu said he became angry when his girlfriend asked to break up with him. He said he had killed her accidentally.

Police said Wu met the woman while traveling in Thailand, and the two had been in a relationship for about a year.

The couple had an argument in February, police said, without providing additional details.