Gabby Petito case: US judiciary issues arrest warrant for missing friend

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The investigators were looking for Gabby Petito with this poster: It is now clear that the 22-year-old is no longer alive

Photo: Amber Baesler / AP

An arrest warrant has been issued against the missing friend of the allegedly killed Gabby Petito in the USA.

This was announced by the local FBI in Denver.

The 23-year-old is wanted for bank fraud, it said in a corresponding court document from the district court in the US state of Wyoming.

The young man used a debit card without authorization between August 30 and September 1.

The document didn't say who the card belonged to.

However, it is said that the 23-year-old withdrew around a thousand US dollars (around 850 euros).

FBI asks the population for help

The warrant was only for credit card fraud - "but the FBI and our partners across the country are still investigating the facts and circumstances of the murder of Ms. Petito," said FBI chief investigator Michael Schneider.

The FBI asked anyone who knew anything about the friend's role or whereabouts in the Gabby Petito case to contact the investigators.

The man has been missing every sprint for days.

His parents reported him missing last week.

The police in Florida, where the couple lived, had been looking for the 23-year-old in a nature reserve in the past few days.

So far, however, he has only been considered a "person of interest," not a suspect.

The Gabby Petito case has also attracted a great deal of attention worldwide in the United States.

Petito and her boyfriend had set off on a road trip through the USA that summer, which they had documented on social networks.

According to police, Petito's boyfriend returned from the trip on September 1 without his girlfriend.

Petito's family finally reported the 22-year-old missing on September 11th.

Last Sunday, a body was found in a national park in the US state of Wyoming.

On Tuesday, forensic medicine came to the conclusion that it was Petito.

After the autopsy, the investigators assume a homicide.

aar / dpa