A BLACKBURN man has been arrested for murder after reports that a man was strangled with a wire in California.

Police said Andrew Sharkey, 35, presented himself to the local sheriff’s department in Sonoma County near San Francisco at the weekend to report a killing and was arrested.

He has appeared for a preliminary hearing at Sonoma County Court and is reported as saying “I didn’t do anything”. He has now been remanded in custody.

Sgt Tim Duke, of the Sonama County Sheriff’s Department told the Lancashire Telegraph that the victim, Michael Tillman, 67, was found strangled to death in the bedroom of a converted garage in the small town of Guerneville on Saturday afternoon.

He also had a stab wound to the back of his neck.

Sgt Duke said investigators believe that Mr Tillman was killed when “a business deal went bad”.

A second man, an American called Sanford Gary Scott, has also been arrested for murder in Arizona.

Sgt Duke said Mr Tillman had been dead since Thursday.

He said: “Sharkey was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on Sunday morning.

"Scott was arrested in Arizona after Sonoma County authorities asked officials there to be on the lookout for him.”

Sgt Duke said Sharkey told officers that he was from Blackburn when he filled in an arraignment form when he was arrested.

But he added Sharkey is understood to have lived in America for several years.

“Sharkey told a deputy that he had witnessed a murder, which occurred three days ago,” said Sgt Duke.

“While detectives were interviewing Sharkey, patrol deputies responded to the 17000 block of Orchard Avenue in Guerneville, where the alleged murder occurred.

“Deputies entered the residence to check on the welfare of the occupants and located a deceased male in one of the bedrooms.

“After several interviews were conducted and physical evidence was collected from the scene, investigative leads identified Andrew Sharkey as one of the suspects that was involved in the murder of Michael Tillman.

“This investigation remains ongoing, therefore no details pertaining to the motive will be addressed at this time.”

He said that as well as being charged with murder Sharkey was also being held on an immigration issue.

Sharkey is now expected to appear in court again in around four months time for a “preliminary examination” when it will be decided if he will stand trial for the murder.

The Foreign Office in London confirmed that the case has been referred to them and officials from the local consulate office in California have been in contact with Sharkey in prison.

Did you know Andrew Sharkey when he lived in Blackburn? Call 01254 298220 or email lt_editorial@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk