French police have arrested two teenagers after an 11-year-old boy was found dead on a riverbank with a wet towel tied around his neck. The incident occurred in Rennes, northwestern France, near the Vilaine River.
A fisherman heard a child crying near the water at around 4:40pm on Sunday and alerted emergency services. Firefighters arrived by 4:50pm, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
A murder investigation was launched, leading to the arrest of a 16-year-old boy at his home and a 15-year-old girl who turned herself in at a police station on Monday. Both are in custody on charges of 'murder of a minor', according to Rennes prosecutor Frederic Teillet.
The victim's mother had been searching for him after he told her he was going fishing with a friend. The incident took place in a wooded area beneath a bridge crossing the Vilaine River. The organised and specialised crime division is handling the investigation.
