ATHENS – A 21-year-old Pakistani man suspected of the murder of his 17-year-0ld girlfriend in Athens was caught by police in North Macedonia after Greek police asked them to assist in a manhunt.

The man, who was not identified, was sent back to Greece to appear before a prosecutor in the slaying of the teen girl, identified only as Nicoletta, police saying he was trying to escape further into northern Europe.

He was was part of a group of irregular migrants stopped by police in North Macedonia which erected a wall to keep them out and hunts them down in that country on Greece’s northern border.

The victim was said to have been suffocated after an argument in the apartment where she lived with her mother and sister and where he was also reportedly staying with the family.

The girl’s relationship with the 30-year-old Pakistani man was reportedly objected to by her mother and the killer quickly fled the scene after also taking some valuables, said PLIndia.

Her body was taken to a medical examiner with the report adding it was found she had been smothered to death, indications a hand had been placed over her mouth to keep her from breathing.

Georgios Dilernia, the medical examiner also said that the accused had pressed his fingers and nails on her mouth and nose to kill her and that there were bruises on her hand indicating she likely fought back, the report said.

Nicoletta’s father talked to the media to reveal and said he learned about her death in a text message from the other daughter saying that, “Dad, we lost Nicoletta, Sunny killed her.”

He added that the duo was in a relationship for the past 10 months and they  “were happy,” and her friends also said that, and they where shocked although it wasn’t said why they may have argued.