The homeless man accused of killing an American student in Rome following a drunken scuffle on the banks of the River Tiber was the suspect in a similar case a year ago but was never charged.

Massimo Galioto, 40, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter after the body of Beau Solomon was found in the Tiber, was a suspect after a man fell into the water right beside the Ponte Garibaldi.

Federico Carnicci fell into the Tiber on July 7, 2015, after a fight, and although there were no witnesses, Galioto was a suspect for a while. The case is now closed and no-one was convicted.

Solomon, a 19-year-old from Wisconsin who was in Rome on a five week summer course, is believed to have been mugged by a North African crime gang that he chased to the riverbank where he was then met by Galioto.

Scroll down for video

Accused: Massimo Galioto, 40, was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter after the body of Beau Solomon, a 19-year-old student studying abroad, was found in the Tiber

Fallen apart: Galioto was interviewed last year on his life as a homeless man in Rome, where he explained he was left devastated by his wife cheating on him

Companion: Alessia Pennacchiolo, pictured with Galioto, insists that the altercation was an accident, and Beau Solomon fell into the Tiber

Detained: Galioto (pictured with his dog) was initially held for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested

Devoted: Alessia Pannacchioli's Facebook page is full of pictures of Massimo (right), who was getting by as a street juggler following the split from his family

In one picture, Alessia (left) writes about Massimo, who is wearing a mask (right): 'How much I love you my love!!!!! You're always there for me in the good and the bad!!!!

The pair then reportedly had a fight, during which he claimed the teenager fell into the river. He then apparently returned to his tent just a few feet from the Garibaldi Bridge, according to La Stampa.

Following his arrest Alessia Pennacchioli, his partner, insisted that he had not meant to hurt the student.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Miss Pennacchioli said: 'Beau came walking down the riverbank, drunk and angry.

'He could barely stand on his feet. He ran into Max [Massimo], who came out of his tent because the dogs were barking.

'Beau hit Max and Max hit back. They got into a fight and Beau fell into the river.

'It was a tragic accident. Max didn't push him into the river, he fell because of the fight.

'Max went back to his tent.'

She added that she didn't call police because her phone battery was flat.

An initial autopsy has shown that Solomon drowned according to La Repubblica. Witnesses have described seeing Solomon alive when he was pushed in. He was also found with a wound on his head, suggesting he may have hit rocks when he fell in. Toxicology results are pending.

Galioto was interviewed by Italy's La Repubblica last year on being a homeless man in Rome, where he described his life in a tent on the Tiber along with his partner and his dogs.

A former soldier who served in Somalia, he was raised on the outskirts of the city in a good family.

They then moved to a big villa on the Via Appia. Following his military service, he returned to Rome where he married and became a fishmonger.

But his life was turned upside when he found his wife in bed with another man, leaving everything behind including his now-17-year-old son. He started to travel Europe, and turned to drink and drugs before eventually ending up under a bridge in Rome.

Nick and Jodi Solomon, the parents of Beau, met with the Pope on Wednesday morning at the start of an audience with French pilgrims.

A statement from the Vatican said that Pope Francis had expressed to Beau's parents, Nick and Jodi, during the unscheduled meeting strong sentiments of 'compassion and his closeness in prayer to the Lord for for the young man who died so tragically.

Pope Francis, right, met with the parents of Beau Solomon who came to Rome on a five-week course

Nick and Jodi Solomon flew to Rome after their son was reported missing on Friday morning

According to the Vatican Pope Francis expressed his condolences for the young man who 'died so tragically'

Cole Solomon pictured center in the white vest, beside his brother Beau in the multi-colored vest, as well as the rest of the family said investigators were treating the incident as a murder

Shortly after arriving in Rome, Beau sent a text message to his mother saying 'Everything's so pretty. It's so beautiful.'

He then went out drinking with fellow students in the Piazza Trilussa area which is popular with tourists and students. He also replied to his father asking from an update saying: 'So amazing here.'

When Solomon left the bar in the early house of Friday morning, police believe he was mugged by two of the gang members who stole his wallet and mobile phone.

Solomon, who was a keen American footballer, gave chase two north African men who ran down an embankment towards the river near the Garibaldi bridge.

Italian media said CCTV footage near the riverbank shows Solomon then getting into a scuffle with Galioto.

The footage apparently shows the moment Solomon was pushed into the river. His body was recovered almost three miles downstream from the scene of the attack, on Monday.

Solomon's roommate, who was in the bar with him on Thursday night, assumed his friend had gone home. It was only when Solomon failed to show up for an orientation meeting at the college on Friday was he reported missing.

An initial investigation has shown that Solomon suffered head injuries and his clothing was badly bloodstained. The ANSA news agency said preliminary autopsy results indicated that he had suffered injuries consistent with a fall and with days spent in the water.

The police official said investigators were in particular looking to see if he was conscious when he fell in the water.

Garibaldi Bridge is one of the busiest in Rome and connects the bar-filled Trastevere neighborhood to the other side of the city's historic center.

Brawl: Alessia Pennacchioli, who shares a tent with Galioto, says the pair got into an argument, pushing match and then Solomon fell into the river

Fight: Solomon is said to have come down to this part of the riverbank after being robbed, according to Alessia; this is where he subsequently got in a fight (pictured is Alessia Pennachioli)

Home: The tent of Alessia Pannachioli (pictured) and Massimo Galioto lies just under the Ponte Garibaldi in the heart of Rome, around a 15 minute walk from the Piazza Venezia

Tragic accident: Alessia claims Beau hit Massimo first, and they then got into a fight before Beau fell into the river. They didn't call police because hr phone was flat, she claims

Familiar: Galioto was a suspect after Federico Carnicci fell into the Tiber exactly a year ago after a fight, although there were no witnesses and he was never charged

Charges worth $1,700 were run up Saturday on Solomon's credit card at a Milan store, hundreds of miles from where he was last seen in Rome, according to reports. His parents reportedly received a bank alert about 4am on Friday, informing them of a small transaction of two euros (about $2.20), following by a succession of larger charges.

Comments by Galioto's companion suggested that the people who stole Solomon's wallet might have used the credit card, not Galioto.

Solomon was in Rome for a five-week exchange program at John Cabot University.

Devastated: Madisun Holverson , pictured left, wrote: 'The world has suffered a great loss but he will always be with us in our memories and in our hearts. You are loved so much Beau, rest in peace'

John Cabot, an English-language university in the Italian capital, said it had been alerted by Solomon's roommate that he had lost contact with Solomon around 1 am Friday and was worried when he didn't show up for orientation later that day.

The president of John Cabot, Franco Pavoncello, said the school takes maximum measures to keep its students safe on campus and around its residences, using both Italian soldiers and private security forces.

But Pavoncello said it was up to Italian authorities to keep people safe on the streets of Rome.

He said: 'Nightlife is nightlife. It's not up to the president of John Cabot University to do an evaluation of the dangers of Rome's nightlife, it's up to judicial authorities.'

On Wednesday morning, the university said it wanted to clarify statements made by its president Mr Pavoncello.

They said Pavoncello was asked whether Rome was dangerous at night. The college said it was an issue for the public authorities as they could not give a 'yes or no' answer.

The college said it has its own private security which patrols the area.

Solomon had just completed his first year as a personal finance major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Italy, John Phillips, pledged his assistance to Italian authorities investigating the death.

He said: 'My heart goes out to his family and friends.'

'We express our most heartfelt condolences to the Solomon family and to all those who loved Beau,' said a statement from the Rome-based English language university where Solomon had just arrived for an exchange program.

Madisun Holverson, a friend of Beau's, paid tribute to him on Facebook.

'The world has suffered a great loss but he will always be with us in our memories and in our hearts. You are loved so much Beau, rest in peace.'

Discovery: Solomon, who drowned according to an initial autopsy, also suffered a serious head wound and had blood on his shirt; he may have hit rocks when he fell into the river

Final steps: This map shows the last movements of Beau Solomon, beginning with his night out in a bar, followed by him being mugged and then the tragic altercation with Massimo Galioto

There have been several recent cases of American students in Rome running into trouble, especially during a night out drinking. Many American students are surprised to find that alcohol can be easily acquired in Italian supermarkets, bars or restaurants.

In 2012, a US student was allegedly stabbed by his roommate, a fellow student at John Cabot University, after what police said was a night of alcohol and possible drug use. The stabbed student survived.