Their escape took them across Europe.
In the end, the Spanish authorities stepped in and arrested the two men who had fled the psychiatry.
When they would be back in Germany was initially unclear.
Weinsberg - After the latest outbreaks from the psychiatric clinic in Weinsberg (Heilbronn district), two of the four fugitive patients were arrested in the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona.
The police had previously covered up the 28 and 36-year-old wanted persons and with the help of the targeted search of the State Criminal Police Office of Baden-Wuerttemberg followed and located.
The duo drove through several European countries on Wednesday alone on the way to Spain before the authorities went online in the evening, the Heilbronn police said on Thursday.
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Patients immobilized with psychotropic drugs?
In a Leverkusen hospital, two nurses are said to have sedated geriatric patients with psychotropic drugs without a doctor's prescription or medical necessity.
Police and public prosecutor Cologne announced on Thursday that the 43 and 52-year-old men are being investigated on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm.
When her lockers were searched in the hospital, "crime-related drugs" were found.
Patients immobilized with psychotropic drugs?
Still on the run are a 24-year-old who escaped three weeks ago with the two men and a fourth inmate who had already been arrested, and a 40-year-old man from the open ward.
This has been searched for since last Saturday.
According to the police investigations, these two cases should not be related to each other.
Representatives of the responsible public prosecutor's offices and the police praised the “good international judicial and police cooperation”.
A spokesman for the Rottweil public prosecutor - she is responsible for the 36-year-old patient - announced that an extradition request would be sent to the Spanish authorities in the coming days.
"We assume there are no problems with the delivery," he added.
Nevertheless, it is currently unclear how much time such a procedure would take.
According to him, other European countries were involved in the search in addition to Spain.
He did not want to give details, however, as two other men are on the run.
The management of the Klinikum am Weissenhof in Weinsberg thanked the authorities for the success of the search: "We are relieved and glad that these two men were caught," it said in a message.
Regarding the question of where the men are now being housed, they did not want to give any information, as it was still called.
Patients keep escaping from psychiatric hospitals.
Last year there were 47 such cases in 1252 patients nationwide in Baden-Württemberg, according to earlier information from the Ministry of Health.
The Klinik am Weissenhof in Weinsberg is an academic teaching hospital of the University of Heidelberg.
It is subject to the supervision of the state of Baden-Württemberg and offers psychiatric, psychotherapeutic and psychosomatic treatment and care for mentally ill people in the Heilbronn region.
dpa
