Austrian fugitive wanted for murdering mother captured in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — A 22-year-old Austrian man wanted by Austrian authorities for murdering his mother was arrested Thursday by a team of investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service and the Portland Police Bureau.

Stefan Eduard Wiebogen, of Strasshof, Austria, was taken into custody late Thursday night by HSI special agents near a Portland hostel. Weibogen is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice and is wanted on a criminal arrest warrant issued by the Regional Court of Korneuburg, Austria. According to court documents, Weibogen is accused of the stabbing murder of his mother. Prosecutors allege he stabbed his mother 30 times in the neck, killing her sometime in August or early September in their Strasshof apartment.

Austrian authorities notified HSI’s office in Vienna that Wiebogen may have fled to the United States. Investigators confirmed he arrived in the U.S. Sept. 8 at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, where he was admitted as a tourist under the visa waiver program. Atlanta-based HSI special agents began tracking Wiebogen, which led investigators to believe Wiebogen was somewhere in the Portland area. Portland-based HSI special agents with deputy U.S. Marshals and Portland police distributed wanted posters to local hotels, hostels and casinos. A tip led authorities to the hostel where he was staying.

During interviews with HSI special agents, Wiebogen admitted he lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in order to gain entry to the country, which is a federal crime and violation of the conditions of his admission. Wiebogen was held overnight on U.S. federal criminal charges at the Multnomah County Jail. Those charges have been dropped in order to expedite his deportation to Austria to face charges there.

As part of the visa waiver program agreement between the U.S. and Austria, Wiebogen waived his right to appear before an immigration judge. He will be held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, pending his removal from the United States.

The Oregon TITAN Fusion Center also assisted with locating the suspect.