Suspect in children's park killings captured

Police detained a man suspected of killing two children and seriously injuring a third in a Heyuan city park in October and rewarded the villager who provided a crucial tip with a 300,000 yuan ($46,153) reward on Wednesday.

Liu Jiping, 38, arrested on Tuesday in Jiangxi province, was escorted into the criminal investigation bureau of the Guangdong provincial department of public security on Wednesday morning.

He was accused of killing the children, third-grade students ages 8 and 9, on the afternoon of Oct 24.

The arrest highlighted successful cooperation between Guangdong police and their Jiangxi counterparts, said Liang Ruiguo, deputy director of the criminal investigation bureau of Guangdong provincial department of public security.

Another 50,000 yuan reward was presented to the police officers who detained Liu.

The villager whose tip led to Liu's arrest said he had just hoped to help police solve crime.

"It is the highest award in recent years for a local resident who tipped off police," Liang said at a news conference in the Guangdong provincial capital on Wednesday. "The big award demonstrates the Guangdong police's determination to fight crime."

The park killings and the suspect's disappearance were unsettling to the community. "Many local residents dared not visit the park, even in the daytime, after the case was published by media," Liang said.

Liu, a native of Guangdong's Lianping county, had been on a police wanted list. He was detained in Shangping village in the city of Ruijin, Jiangxi province, at about 9 am on Tuesday. Police said they recovered a hammer and two identity cards, including a fake one, from Liu.