VIDEO/ Footage Released of the Arrest of 20-Year-Old Kristjan Sterjo, Accused of Killing Joan Zuko

Footage has been released showing the arrest of Kristjan Sterjo, the 20-year-old accused of killing Joan Zuko in Korçë.

Sterjo was arrested at midnight by Korçë police near the Orthodox Cathedral as he was returning home to collect money and continue his escape.

The 20-year-old had reportedly remained in hiding for about six hours near the city cemetery, in the area known as “Fusha e Druve.”

After locating him, police intervened and arrested him, bringing his hours-long escape following the serious incident to an end.

The perpetrator’s testimony

Kristjan Sterjo, who was captured after about six hours on the run, gave his testimony to the investigative team regarding the motive behind the serious incident. According to his testimony, the conflict between the two young men was linked to several previous episodes, while one of the factors suspected of having led to the escalation was the harassment of the suspected perpetrator’s girlfriend.

The investigation

Investigators are also considering previous clashes between the two young men, who are suspected of having argued over claims about who was the “toughest” in the neighborhood.

According to information from the investigation so far, the suspected perpetrator and the victim had a verbal altercation several days before the incident. Both sides are suspected of having clashed with and harassed each other, causing tensions between them to escalate.

The situation then took another turn. According to the perpetrator’s testimony, on the day of the incident he took the weapon and went after the 20-year-old, shooting him once in the back in an attack that proved fatal for Johan Zuko.

The conflict, which is suspected of having begun over trivial motives, starting with claims over who was considered the neighborhood’s “tough guy,” was subsequently accompanied by harassment, insults and repeated clashes between the two young men.

The confrontation ended tragically with the killing of 20-year-old Johan Zuko, while Kristjan Sterjo fled the scene and was arrested by police forces about six hours later near his home. Sterjo had been hiding in an area near the city cemetery but left the location and headed toward his home. Police spotted him at that moment and immediately moved in to capture him.

The investigative team is continuing its work to fully establish how the incident unfolded, while the suspected perpetrator’s testimony and the evidence collected are expected to help determine the circumstances and the exact motive that led to the serious crime.

In the video of the arrest, police can be heard telling him: “Lie on the ground.”