Peruvian ‘lover’ arrested for allegedly killing retired priest, 80, who was known to pay men for sex: report

A Peruvian immigrant was arrested for allegedly killing an 80-year-old priest and then using his credit card to buy drinks.

The unidentified man, 40, was taken into custody Thursday for the death of Fr. Alfonso López Benito, a retired priest in Valencia, Spain, who was known to pay men for sex according to Catholic magazine The Tablet.

The man was arrested after he was caught using the priest’s bank card at a local bar and also had the Christian leader’s phone, according to the magazine.

Valencia Police believe the dispute was between lovers, according to the Telegraph.

Several neighbors told police the suspect had been in the area days before Benito’s body was discovered and that he regularly visited the priest’s home, The Tablet reported.

Police also reviewed Benito’s financial records, showing transactions in the hours before his death, which may have indicated that he was being blackmailed, The Tablet reported.

Benito was found Tuesday in his bed by a janitor and friend who had gone to visit him. An autopsy later confirmed the priest died from being suffocated.

The home showed no signs of forced entry and police believe Benito allowed his alleged attacker into his home, according to the Telegraph’s report.

It was determined he had been dead for between several hours and a few days.

Friends of the religious figure said they received strange text messages from Benito in the week leading up to the discovery of his body saying he would be out of town for a few days. This led detectives to believe the suspect was trying to hide the alleged murder, according to The Tablet.

He was later traced through the priest’s phone to a local bar, where he was buying drinks.

The Valencia Archdiocese is working with police and said they were “as interested as anyone in clearing up the circumstances of this death,” according to the Telegraph. It also offered condolences to Benito’s family.

His neighbors allegedly complained to the Archdiocese of Valencia about the constant stream of men in-and-out of the priest’s apartment, according to The Tablet’s report.

Benito was known for helping troubled men, including migrants and ex-convicts. However, neighbors claimed he also paid many of the men for sexual favors.

Following the neighbors complaints, Church authorities warned Benito he could continue helping young men without inviting them into his home.

In one instance, one of the men reportedly became aggressive with the priest and demanded he pay him money. Police were called to the residence, but Benito declined to press charges, according to The Tablet.