A woman in her 40s who had filed a stalking and dating-violence report against a man in his 60s is seen being dragged away by the suspect on a street in Jeju in the early hours of Monday. She was later found dead from stab wounds. The image is a still from nearby CCTV footage. [Yonhap TV]
A woman in her 40s who had filed a stalking and dating-violence report against a man in his 60s is seen being dragged away by the suspect on a street in Jeju in the early hours of Monday. She was later found dead from stab wounds. The image is a still from nearby CCTV footage. [Yonhap TV]

A man in his 60s suspected of stalking and killing a woman in her 40s in Jeju had ingested poison before his arrest, it emerged Wednesday.

The suspect, identified only as A, complained of health problems even after being taken into emergency custody and placed in a detention cell, according to Yonhap and other media outlets.

Police took A to a hospital twice for examination and determined that he had drunk pesticide stored in his vehicle after the killing but before his arrest. He was subsequently transferred to an intensive care unit on a doctor's orders and is receiving treatment there.

A was at one point in critical condition but is now stable.

However, police determined that A was unlikely to make a full recovery within the 48-hour detention limit and released him Tuesday afternoon to allow him to be hospitalized for treatment.

Police plan to take A back into custody once he is discharged and will seek a new arrest warrant at that point. Detectives will be stationed at the hospital around the clock during his hospitalization to prevent escape or self-harm and to ensure there are no gaps in supervision.

A is accused of stabbing and killing B, a woman in her 40s with whom he had been in a romantic relationship, on a street in front of a hotel in Yeon-dong, Jeju, on Monday morning.


choigo@heraldcorp.com