American woman declared 'captured' in El Salvador

The US Embassy disclosed Sunday it was searching for a ''captured'' American woman, and a Roman Catholic Church official said a Belgian architect had been slain.

Patricia Cuellar last week was reported captured, which means arrested by security forces but not officially listed as a prisoner. An embassy spokesman said Ms. Cuellar, a US citizen living in El Salvador, was reported missing last week, and the mission was searching for her.

The church official said architect Beruardo Dewerchin, of Belgium, was slain last week in his home.