In a swift operation following a knife attack outside a bar in Bielefeld, German police have apprehended a suspect with the help of a crucial digital clue. The assailant, who fled the scene after the attack, was tracked down thanks to the use of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) app by a witness in Essen. This led to a coordinated search that culminated in the suspect's arrest in Heiligenhaus, near Düsseldorf.

The incident, which left several individuals with life-threatening injuries, occurred in the early hours of Sunday. The suspect, a 35-year-old Syrian national residing in Harsewinkel near Bielefeld, allegedly attacked partygoers with knives before fleeing. The police's breakthrough came when the suspect approached a person at Essen's main train station, asking them to use the DB app on their phone to find connections to Velbert.

This interaction prompted the witness to alert the authorities, setting off a chain of events that narrowed the search to three potential locations in the vicinity of Düsseldorf. The focus eventually zeroed in on a vacant apartment in Heiligenhaus, where special forces arrested the suspect late Monday evening. During the arrest, the suspect sustained minor injuries, though details about the apartment's ownership remain unclear.

The case underscores the increasing role of digital tools in criminal investigations, with the DB app playing a pivotal role in this instance. As the investigation continues, authorities are piecing together the events leading up to the attack, while the community reels from the violence that disrupted a night of celebration.