DIJON, France, March 2 (UPI) -- A man was tracked through his dog's ID number and arrested as a suspect in the strangulation and dismemberment of his girlfriend in Dijon, France, police said.
The suspect was arrested while checking on the whereabouts of his pet, which had an identification number that was distributed to veterinaries and animal shelters in an alert that the owner was wanted on suspicion of murder, The Local in France reported Friday.
Police had questioned Fabien Souvigne, 23, twice concerning the disappearance his girlfriend, 21-year-old Marion Bouchard, in February. On both occasions he said she was shopping, police said.
Police said Souvigne's dog had become separated from its owner. When the man went to an animal shelter in northern Paris to ask about the pet, a clerk checked the dog's ID number, saw the notice and notified police, The Local said.
Souvigne surrendered without incident Wednesday, provided details of the slaying and told police where they could find Bouchard's body, investigators said.
"It is said that the acts of violence occurred [Jan. 15]. In the middle of a quarrel, he felt threatened by a knife that the victim was yielding, and he proceeded to strangle her," prosecutor Eric Lallement said in Dijon Thursday. "He lived several days with the corpse of the young woman, and then he decided to dispose of it in Dijon … ."
Authorities said the man cut the woman's body into several pieces. Police said they found the body in three locations in Dijon Thursday.
