意大利当局拘留了两名19岁的美国人，指控他们在杀害35岁的警官马里奥·切切尔洛·雷加时犯有严重谋杀罪和敲诈未遂罪。
警方已经确认嫌疑人是克里斯蒂安·加布里埃尔·纳塔莱·霍思和老费尼根·李。致命事故发生时，旧金山居民乔斯和李正在罗马度假。
根据宪兵队的一份声明，当两人因毒品交易发生争执时，麻烦就开始了。
根据警方声明，这些年轻人试图从当地购买可卡因。Hjorth和Lee意识到他们购买的不是可卡因，而且他们被骗了，据称他们偷了卖家的包，索要100欧元(约112美元)和1克可卡因的赎金。
包的主人向当地警方报告了这起盗窃案，警方安排与乔斯和李秘密会面。雷加警官透露了他的身份后，据称其中一名美国人拔出刀子袭击了他，刺伤了他八次。
Rega在当地时间凌晨4:30被宣布死亡。
霍思和艾尔德在罗马普拉蒂附近犯罪现场附近的酒店房间里被捕。官员们说，宪兵队很快确定了这些美国人是嫌疑犯，并利用目击者证词和视频监控录像找到了他们。
当局告诉美国有线电视新闻网，这些人被捕时正准备离开意大利。
“他们已经准备好离开这个国家，”警察告诉网络。“在搜查被两名被拘留者占据的旅馆房间时，发现并缴获了凶器，一把相当大的刀，巧妙地藏在天花板后面，以及犯罪时穿的衣服。”
在审问过程中，“面对压倒性的证据，他们承认了指控，”警方声明继续说道。
美国国务院发言人在被问及评论时表示新闻周刊，“我们知道这些报道。当一名美国公民被拘留在海外时，该部努力提供一切适当的领事援助。”
报告没有具体说明这些人是否得到了法律顾问。
周五和周六，罗马警察部队的各个分支在宪兵总部外举行游行和鸣笛向他们倒下的同事致敬。
意大利内政部长马特奥·萨尔维尼在推特上发布了一张瑞萨的照片，标题是:“马里奥，a卡宾枪手一个英雄，一个有着一生前途的男孩，结婚才40天..."
AMERICAN TEENS IN ROME ADMIT TO MURDERING POLICE OFFICER AFTER BOTCHED DRUG DEAL, OFFICIALS SAY
Italian authorities are holding two American 19-year-olds on charges of aggravated murder and attempted extortion in the killing of police officer Mario Cerciello Rega, 35.
Police have identified the suspects as Christian Gabriel Natale Hjorth and Elder Finnegan Lee. Hjorth and Lee, both residents of San Francisco, were on vacation in Rome at the time of the fatal incident.
The trouble began when the pair got into an altercation over a drug deal, according to a statement by the Carabinieri police force.
The young men attempted to purchase cocaine from a local, according to the police statement. Upon realizing the substance they had paid for was not cocaine, and that they had been duped, Hjorth and Lee allegedly stole the seller's bag and demanded a ransom of 100 euros (approximately $112) and one gram of cocaine.
The owner of the bag reported the theft to local police who arranged to meet Hjorth and Lee undercover. After Officer Rega revealed his identity, one of the Americans allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked, stabbing him eight times.
Rega was pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m. local time.
Hjorth and Elder were arrested in their hotel room near the scene of the crime in Rome's Prati neighborhood. The Carabinieri quickly identified the Americans as suspects and located them using witness testimony and video surveillance footage, officials said.
The men were preparing to leave Italy when they were arrested, authorities told CNN.
"They were already ready to leave the country," police told the network. "During the search of the hotel room, which was occupied by the two detainees, the murder weapon was found and seized, a knife of considerable size, cleverly hidden behind a ceiling panel, as well as the clothes worn during the crime."
During questioning, "in the face of overwhelming evidence, they confessed to the charge," the police statement continued.
Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Newsweek, "We are aware of these reports. When a U.S. citizen is detained overseas, the Department works to provide all appropriate consular assistance."
Reports did not specify if the men are receiving legal counsel.
On Friday and Saturday various branches of Rome's police force paid homage to their fallen colleague with a procession and a siren salute outside the Carabinieri headquarters.
Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini posted a picture of Resa on Twitter with the caption: "Mario, a carabinier, a hero, a boy with all his life ahead, had been married for just 40 days..."
