Newsroom
Police have made an arrest in connection with the death of Grandpa Kokos, whose charred body was retrieved by fire fighters following a house fire in Larnaca.
(Click here for an update to the story)
A 21-year-old male, who was already in custody on theft charges in a different case, reportedly confessed to crime investigators that he killed 76-year-old Yiorgos “Kokos” Mavrommatis over the weekend.
Video footage from a security camera, in connection with a burglary in the vicinity, reportedly captured the suspect coming out of the victim’s residence.
Video footage from a security camera, in connection with a burglary in the vicinity, reportedly captured the suspect coming out of the victim’s residence
The body of Mavrommatis or Grandpa Kokos, as the beloved elderly man was known in the local neighbourhood, was discovered by fire fighters Sunday morning after they responded to an emergency call on Terra Ombras, a side road on Kimonos street.
Initially it was reported that the senior citizen died while trying to put out a fire. Members of the community were shocked to hear that after a small gas cylinder was thought to have exploded, Grandpa Kokos did not leave his residence but tried to extinguish the ensuing fire and died either by smoke inhalation or burned to death.
But a post mortem on the body revealed that the elderly man had multiple injuries on his body.
Local media said the 21-year-old suspect, who was confronted with evidence, reportedly confessed to killing Grandpa Kokos during the attempted burglary. The victim was said to have put up a resistance and the suspect ended up striking him and fatally wounding him.
The suspect, who is scheduled to appear before a judge on Wednesday morning, told crime investigators he set the victim’s bed on fire in order to burn the entire house and destroy any incriminating evidence.
