Albanian Arrested After Israeli Murdered in Berlin: German Police

An Albanian man was arrested Friday in the Czech Republic on suspicion of beating to death an Israeli tourist in Berlin, German police said.

The victim, identified by police Thursday as 22-year-old Yosi Damari, was found by passersby early Sunday beaten beyond recognition in the ruins of a Gothic church. No motive has been found for his horrific murder, which had taken place the previous day, Berlin police say.

It took several days for police to confirm the identity of the battered man, using his passport and DNA testing.

After discovering contact between the Israeli and a 28-year-old Albanian man at a nearby hotel prior to the murder, a Europe-wide warrant was issued and the suspect was arrested by Czech special forces in Usti nad Labem, near the German border.

The Israeli man's body was found in the ruins of the 14th century Church of the Franciscan Monastery, which was destroyed during World War II. The site is near City Hall and Alexanderplatz, which has seen an increase in violent crime in recent years including two high-profile killings of young men.

Long shunned as the city where the Holocaust was planned, Berlin has seen a mass influx of young Israelis in recent years attracted by its lower rent and food costs and famed nightlife.