[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

A teenage boy who stabbed his mother to death during an argument and then strangled the family's pet dog has been taken into custody.

The Incheon Samsan Police Station detained the 18-year-old suspect, identified only as A, on Sunday on charges of matricide and violating the Animal Protection Act. Incheon District Court duty judge Lee Dong-ho conducted a pre-detention hearing that day and issued an arrest warrant, citing a risk of flight and "unavoidable grounds for detaining him as a juvenile."

A is accused of stabbing his mother, a woman in her 40s identified only as B, multiple times with a weapon found inside their apartment in Samsan-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, at around 8:30 p.m. Friday during an argument.

He is also accused of strangling the family's pet dog after the attack. Emergency responders transported B to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A turned himself in to police after the incident.

A appeared at court Sunday for the pre-detention hearing but refused to answer any questions from reporters. He stayed silent when asked why the argument had occurred, whether he felt remorse toward his mother, what conflict had existed between them, and why he had turned himself in, and remained visibly alert to his surroundings throughout.

Police believe A carried out the attack during the argument with his mother and are investigating the exact circumstances. They have requested an autopsy on B's body from the National Forensic Service.

A dropped out of high school and is currently unemployed. He also has a history of psychiatric treatment. His father and a sibling were not home at the time of the attack.

There are indications that A and B had a history of conflict before the incident. Police had responded to reports of arguments between the two on one or two previous occasions, though no one was charged at the time.


kacew@heraldcorp.com