A 50-year-old man in Taiwan has been detained after allegedly pushing his 79-year-old mother to the ground during an argument, leaving her critically injured before he reportedly locked the door and fled.
The incident occurred in Jinshan District, New Taipei City, on Oct 3, when the man, surnamed Wu, allegedly lost his temper during a dispute with his mother, who was reportedly in the terminal stages of cancer.
According to police, Wu allegedly pushed his mother, causing her to fall heavily and start bleeding from the mouth. Instead of calling for help, he allegedly locked the front door and left the house.
He reportedly wandered around the streets for nearly an hour before entering a nearby eatery, just a few minutes from his home, where he ordered noodles.
The restaurant owner told local media that Wu appeared agitated and repeatedly spoke about his mother. He was also reportedly heard muttering, “I killed my mother.”
Wu allegedly began shouting and banging on the table inside the restaurant, prompting the owner to call police.
When officers arrived, they reportedly noticed that Wu’s behaviour and statements were unusual. They immediately went to his home and contacted his sister-in-law and a local community leader to help gain access to the locked property.
Police eventually entered the house and found the 79-year-old woman lying on the floor. She was still conscious and able to respond at the time, but was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead at around 10pm that night.
A subsequent examination reportedly found severe injuries to the woman’s head, which investigators believe were among the key factors contributing to her death.
Police later arrested Wu. He was reportedly highly agitated during the arrest and had to be restrained by officers with the assistance of the local community leader.
A court has since ordered Wu to be detained.
Police said Wu was the eldest of two brothers and had continued living with his mother, while his younger brother had moved out.
The mother and son had reportedly been living together and relying on each other, with Wu described as unable to live independently. Authorities said the family had not previously been classified as a vulnerable household.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether there were any other underlying factors involved.
