British police have charged a man with double murder after human remains were discovered in suitcases at the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Yostin Andres Mosquera, 34, was charged with the murder of two men identified by police as 62-year-old Albert Alfonso and 71-year-old Paul Longworth.
The two victims were in a relationship and lived together in a flat in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, where Mosquera also stayed for a short time, the Metropolitan Police said.
The men’s remains were also found in the apartment in west London.
“I know this horrific incident will cause concern not only to the residents of Shepherd’s Bush, but to the entire LGBTQ+ community across London,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said in a statement.
“I hope it will give you some reassurance that, although the investigation is ongoing and at a relatively early stage, we are not currently looking for anyone in connection with the two murders.”
Police also said that the evidence collected so far did not point to a homophobic motive, but the case was initially classified as a hate crime – a classification that will be reviewed if further evidence emerges.
Police in Bristol, south-west England, received reports late on Wednesday evening of a man with a suitcase acting suspiciously on Clifton Bridge. A second suitcase was later found nearby.
Mosquera, who police said had arrived with the suitcases from London, was arrested in Bristol on Saturday.
He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in London later on Monday.