German teens beat 50-year-old man to death

Munich — Two German teenagers were arrested Saturday after beating a 50-year-old man to death at a station for the regional express train line in Munich, a police spokesman told AFP.

According to witnesses, "two youths aged 17 and 18 threatened a group of younger teenagers, demanding money, and a 50-year-old man became involved trying to calm down things," the spokesman Andreas Ruch said.

The two youths then attacked the man for interfering, "jumping on him and beating him up," Ruch said.

The man was left on the ground, unconscious, and the emergency services were called to the scene at the Solln train station.

But doctors were not able to save the man’s life and he died Saturday evening in the hospital from severe injuries to his head, Ruch said.

His two teenage attackers ran off down the train tracks when they saw that their victim was no longer moving, and they were arrested shortly after, the police spokesman said.

Munich police have scheduled a press conference for Sunday at 0930 GMT.

Several brutal attacks have taken place in the past on Munich’s transportation system, including one which provoked a national debate on toughening the fight against juvenile delinquency.

The case in 2007 involved a 76-year-old retired man who was beaten up by some youths at a Munich metro station after he asked them to put out their cigarettes. His two attackers were sentenced to long prison terms in July 2008.

AFP/Expatica