MMA Fanatic Teen Allegedly Lured Woman, 42, and Killed Her with Barbell Weights in 'Garage of Horrors': Authorities

Authorities in a small Italian town have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the death of a woman they allege was lured into the suspect’s garage before being brutally beaten and strangled.

Maria Campai, 42, was found dead last month in a municipality in the Italian province of Mantua, leading to the arrest of the teenager, according to several Italian news outlets including Rai News, La Stampa and Corriere Della Serare.

Campai’s body was found nearly a week after she disappeared on Sept. 19, La Stampa reported. It is alleged she was killed on the same night, per il Giornale and la Repubblica.

The nature of the killing has led local media such as il Giornale, Leggo.it and Parma Today to dub the case as “garage of horrors.”

The suspect, who is not named in the reports, is accused of killing Campai in his family’s garage and hiding her body outside an abandoned house, Rai News, la Repubblica and Gazzetta di Mantova reported, citing the local juvenile prosecutor’s office, an investigating judge and a confession provided to police, respectively. 

Campai was reported missing on Sept. 19, per Rai News and Leggo.it. 

The suspect allegedly met Campai on a dating website that day and recruited her for paid sex services, per La Stampa, which cited prosecutors, and il Giornale and Leggo.it. 

Investigators recovered video footage that showed Campai walking into the garage with the 17-year-old, il Giornale, Corriere Della Sera and Leggo.it reported. Authorities believe she was killed inside the garage, per investigators and prosecutors, la Repubblica, Rai News and La Stampa reported. 

Authorities allege the suspect attacked Campai likely after she refused to comply with his sexual demands, per La Stampa. The teen, who is reportedly an MMA fanatic, allegedly attacked her with barbell weights, as reported by il Giornale and La Stampa, which cited prosecutors.  

An autopsy revealed she was allegedly beaten in her face and head and punched, per Corriere Della Sera, Gazzetta di Parma and Leggo.it.

The suspect also allegedly suffocated her using a martial arts move, which involved squeezing her neck between his arm and forearm, Leggo.it, Gazzetta di Parma and Corriere Della Sera reported, citing an autopsy and prosecutors.  

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The teenager has been charged with premeditated voluntary homicide and concealment of a corpse, per la Repubblica, Rai News and Leggo.it. 

The suspect’s lawyer told Rai News the defense is not making any statements because “the media hype has already hurt the investigation and the boy.”

“Now the judge will evaluate the statements and decide which measure to apply,” the lawyer said, per the outlet.