The Villeneuve-Olympic Village district in Grenoble (illustration). - Pascal Fayolle / SIPA

Several investigations were opened in Grenoble after the fatal fall of a man from the 13th floor of an HLM, which led to the discovery of a submachine gun and the arrest of a suspected fellow in a murder case dating from last summer, we learned on Saturday from a judicial source.

Thursday noon, two people who squatted housing in Grenoble tried to escape a police check, came to check at the request of the social landlord Grenoble Habitat if the apartment was illegally occupied, by jumping on the balcony below. One of the men fell from the 13th floor and died.

This 36-year-old man was known to the police, the gendarmerie and the justice system. The firefighters and the Samu, called, could not do anything for him, had indicated the emergency services. His autopsy will take place on Monday, said the prosecution. The second man had “managed to jump onto the balcony of the apartment located just below, on the 12th floor,” according to the police. He was arrested and taken into police custody.

Submachine gun and knife

On the balcony was found "a bag containing a Scorpion submachine gun loaded with 7.65 ammunition as well as a detent knife," said Grenoble public prosecutor Eric Vaillant. "The investigation into the causes of death, the home invasion and the possession of a category A weapon was entrusted to the Grenoble judicial police antenna," added the prosecutor. The 21-year-old survivor "denies ownership" of the submachine gun.

An investigating judge also asked to hear him as part of a completely separate investigation into the death of a 40-year-old man on August 17, 2019 from several stab wounds in the working-class neighborhood of the Olympic Village. And on Saturday, he was "indicted for the murder of Olivier Mambakasa [name of victim]", said the prosecutor, adding that he "denied the facts". The accused was placed in pre-trial detention, "he asked for a delay to prepare an adversarial debate which will take place within four days," said the magistrate.

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