THE HAGUE, Netherlands—A pilfered palm tree led to Dutch police detaining a homeless man who was sentenced to 18 years in neighboring Belgium in the death of a man seven years ago.
Police in the southern town of Geldrop said in a statement Tuesday that officers stopped the man Saturday night for questioning when they saw him walking down a street “with a large inflatable palm tree under his arm.”
The fugitive from Belgian justice is believed to have taken the tree from a beach volleyball tournament in the town near the city of Eindhoven, police said.
When the officers checked his identity, they discovered that he was wanted by authorities in Belgium where he must still serve his prison time. The 34-year-old man’s identity was not released, in line with Dutch privacy rules….