Suspect, 32, charged with murder over death of glam TikTok star, 29, found dead in remote vineyard in France

A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with the murder of a TikTok star who was found dead in a French vineyard after disappearing. The naked and partially burned body of Sonia Bellina, 29, was dumped in between grapevines in a remote rural area in Saint-Gilles, France. The body of Sonia Bellina was found on August 12 Credit: Jam Press/@soniiabelliina Her family fear she may have ‘run into the wrong guy’ Credit: Jam Press/@soniiabelliina A farmer stumbled upon her remains on August 12, 48 hours after she was reported missing. Around 40 police officers were deployed to the scene and the area was quickly cordoned off. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Two men were detained as part of the investigation into the influencer’s brutal killing. One has now been charged with murder, the Nîmes prosecutor’s office announced. The other was released on Thursday. Sonia was also preparing to celebrate her 30th birthday when she disappeared Credit: Jam Press/@soniiabelliina The suspect is “accused of having had contact with the victim … shortly before the events,” the Nîmes prosecutor’s office said. According to local media, the man admitted to having “a relationship with the victim on the night of the incident and the day before”. But he refused to offer more information, and exercised his “right to remain silent”, bfmtv reports. The suspect was known to police, having been previously arrested for violent behaviour and drug related offenses. Most read in The Sun At the time of his arrest, he was still wearing a tag after being sentenced for a domestic violence offense in 2023. It comes after investigators told The Sun the suspect was linked to Sonia through his mobile phone records. The alleged murderer is from Nimes, the southern city where Sonia was born and brought up, and where she trained to be a beauty therapist, specialising in eyelash extensions. Members of Sonia’s family identified the corpse, with DNA testing confirming the tragedy. Sonia was reported missing on August 10 and found by a farmer two days later Credit: soniiabelliina/ Instagram She had more than a quarter-of-a-million followers on TikTok Credit: Jam Press/@soniiabelliina Another investigating source said: “Sonia Bellina is believed to have gone to meet a mystery boyfriend on the night of her death.” Sonia was also preparing to celebrate her 30th birthday with her family when she disappeared. She had more than a quarter-of-a-million followers on TikTok, and was known for sharing details of her life across multiple social media platforms. Her regular performances included lip-syncing to old romantic movies, and also pretending to seduce her fans. An investigating source said: “This may have attracted some very unpleasant people.” Her sister, who asked to be referred to as Mia, recalled the events of August 10, saying: “She said she was going out one evening, and she never came back.” She also said Sonia may have “run into the wrong guy at the wrong time,” without providing further details. The victim’s family also condemned a “hate campaign” on social media which followed news of Sonia’s death. Mia said: “People are going too far – it’s awful, and they’re coming out with nonsense. “It’s harassment – some are even saying she deserved what happened to her. “People are using my sister’s photos just to generate a buzz.” Comment now