The 26-year-old Australian, wanted on a Pattaya Provincial Court warrant for Monday’s (Nov 30) abduction and killing of 37-year-old Wayne Rodney Schneider, was captured in a hotel on 82nd Street in Phnom Penh around 4:40pm yesterday (Dec 3), according to local Khmer-language media.
Thong Piseth, chief of military police in Phnom Penh’s Daun Pehn district,confirmed the arrest to the Phnom Penh Post and have transferred him to senior officers who will coordinate with Thai authorities to extradite him back to Thailand.
Mr Bagnato, a motorcycle gang member in Sydney and Schneider’s partner in a fitness business there, is accused of leading a gang of five men to abduct the Hells Angels outlaw from a rented home in Bang Lamung district around 5am Monday, kill him and bury the body on Khao Cheechan hill in neighbouring Sattahip district two hours later.
Allegedly driving the rented Toyota pickup truck used in the crime was 21-year-old American Tyler Gerard, who re-enacted the kidnapping and murder for senior police officials this morning (Dec 4).
Mr Bagnato’s wife, Siriphat Saimart, 25, was detained earlier this week for renting the vehicle, but since has been cleared of involvement in the plot.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen and two other deputy chiefs, Pol Gen Wut Liptapanllop and Pol Gen Panya Mamen, led the oversaw the re-enactment at the Jomtien Park Villas on Thepprasit Soi 17 around 9.30am.
Mr Gerard has been charged with colluding in unlawful detention leading to death, premeditated murder and concealment of the body of the victim.
Police said the young Californian, who has lived in Pattaya since early this year, confessed he played a part in the crimes under interrogation yesterday.
His confessions helped provide information about the other suspects. They were identified as Mr Bagnato, American Isaac Jonnes Stetson, and two Australian men identified only as Jay and Toe.
Police believed some of the suspects were still hiding in Thailand while others have escaped.
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