DETECTIVES have been given an extra 36 hours to question a murder suspect arrested in Southampton after an international manhunt.
Ricardo Pisano, pictured, was last night still in custody helping police with their inquiries into the death of Michael Polding last summer.
Pisano, dubbed the Artful Dodger, was initially arrested on Monday at a flat in Methuen Street, Inner Avenue, on suspicion of an assault in the Portswood area of the city.
However Hampshire police then realised Pisano was wanted in connection with the murder in Brighton and handed him over to colleagues in Sussex.
Yesterday residents in Methuen Street spoke of their shock and surprise.
A 43-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, told the Daily Echo how she saw a police car and riot van pull up outside one of the terraced houses at the time of the arrest while she was leaving her friend’s home in nearby Mordaunt Street.
She said: “I’ve seen him walking up The Avenue loads of times. He’s been here for ages, but I’ve never spoken to him.”
William Martin 23, said: “It’s shocking to think that there was someone living in the area with that hanging over them.
“It’s normally a nice quiet neighbourhood and I’ve never seen anything suspicious.”
Pisano is believed to have been the last person to see 62- year-old Mr Polding alive.
Police investigating the case launched a website – the second of its kind in the UK – to search for Pisano, who is also known as Ricky Ree and Brandon Victor Pillay.
Detectives feared he had fled to his native South Africa.
