A man nicknamed “Black Forest Rambo” has been arrested in Germany’s southwest Black Forest region after five days on the run, Baten-Wurttemberg police said Friday.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Yves Rausch, and was given the nickname in local media outlets and on social media after he disappeared into the forest after an altercation with police.
On Sunday, police reported that officers were called about a man “dressed in camouflage” carrying a bow and arrow.
Rausch initially cooperated with the officers, before threatening them with a gun and managing to disarm them of their “service weapons” before disappearing into the forest.
“A large force of several hundred emergency services” and helicopters were deployed around the town of Oppenau for the search efforts, authorities said.
Juergen Rieger, the head of the search operation said that Rausch was found sitting in a bush “with four guns visible in front of him”, after a tip-off from two witnesses, Agence France-Presse news agency reported.
Reiger added that Rausch had an ax in his lap, another gun, and there was a letter in front of him, AFP reported.
Friday’s arrest ends a five-day search that gripped the local area. As of Thursday morning local time investigators had received more than 270 clues from the public regarding Rausch’s whereabouts within the forest.
Police have reason to believe that Rausch had “no permanent residence” and potentially lived in the forest.
