by AP – BEIRUT — Lebanese authorities have detained a man suspected in the killing of a British woman who worked at the U.K. Embassy in Beirut and whose body was found near the city over the weekend, a police official said Monday. The woman’s murder was a “criminal act” and was not politically motivated, the official said, adding that the suspect had confessed to the killing. The woman, later identified by British media and friends as Rebecca Dykes, was found on the side of a motorway on Saturday. Sources told CBS News partner network BBC News that it appeared Dykes had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. When she was found, there were no items pointing to her identity and she had no money or a cellular telephone. Authorities released a drawing of her in order for people who know her to come forward and identify her. The suspect, identified as Tariq H, has confessed to killing Dykes after trying to sexually assault her, a Lebanese judicial official said on Monday. “When he began to sexually assault her, she resisted. She was able to escape from the car and started to scream, until he took her back to the car and strangled her,” the source added. An Uber spokesman said in an email: “We are horrified by this senseless act of violence. Our hearts are with the victim and her family. We are working with authorities to assist their investigation in any way they can.”

According to Dykes’ social media profiles, she was employed by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) which also issued a statement following confirmation of her death. “Our thoughts are with Becky’s family and friends at this very upsetting time,” DFID said, adding that the Foreign Office was working with authorities in Lebanon as the police probe gets underway. The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with the Lebanese authorities over the incident.

In an official statement released by the Foreign Office on Monday, the University of Manchester graduate’s family said: “For Becky to have her life cruelly taken away in these circumstances is devastating to our family. “Becky is simply irreplaceable and we will never fully recover from this loss.” The family continued that they are “grateful that the investigation is moving at pace” and thanked the authorities for acting “quickly and thoroughly”. “Becky was genuine, generous, and loving, as anyone who knew her would agree. She was intelligent, ambitious, and dedicated to her work. “Becky had a love of travelling, and was passionate about helping people. “She always wanted to make the world a better place – her humanitarian work in Beirut was testament to that.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the death of an embassy staffer who worked for the Department for International Development. In a statement released by the Foreign Office, the family requested that the media respect their privacy “at this very difficult time.” “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened,” her family said. “The whole embassy is deeply shocked and saddened by this news,” said British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter in a statement, “Our thoughts are with Becky’s family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss.”

According to her LinkedIn page, Ms Dykes had been working as a programme and policy manager with the Department for International Development. She had also been a policy manager with the Libya team at the Foreign Office (FCO). Before that she was based as an Iraq Research Analyst with the FCO. The University of Manchester graduate also had a masters in International Security and Global Governance from Birkbeck, University of London, and was a former pupil of Malvern Girls’ College and Rugby school. A spokesperson for Uber said: “We are horrified by this senseless act of violence. Our hearts are with the victim and her family. We are working with authorities to assist their investigation in any way we can.” The Foreign Office said it was in contact with the Lebanese authorities and confirmed the arrested. “Following the death of a British woman in Beirut, we are providing support to the family,” an FCO spokesperson said. “We remain in close contact with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”

On Monday, a police official said the suspect was traced through security cameras that showed his car driving from Beirut to the area where Dykes’ body was found, just north of the Lebanese capital. “He was detained at his apartment,” the official said. He added that once the plate number of the vehicle was traced through security cameras, the suspect, who is a Lebanese citizen, was identified. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the suspect is a taxi driver who picked up the woman from Beirut’s Gemayze neighborhood, known for its restaurants and pubs, then drove to a nearby neighborhood where she lived but did not drop her off there. Instead, the suspect drove the car to the site where Dykes’ body was later found. NNA said the man tried to sexually assault her, then strangled her with a rope. The police have not confirmed those details. The murder has shaken Lebanon, where such crimes, particularly against foreigners, are relatively uncommon. Earlier, a forensics official told The Associated Press that the woman was strangled with a rope and that authorities were investigating whether she was also sexually assaulted. Both the police and the forensics official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Dykes’ friends said she was planning to fly home for Christmas on Saturday.