A man allegedly suffering from mental illness was sent to the Kampong Thom provincial police station for stabbing a man to death on Monday morning in Svay Sar village, police said.

The province’s felony office head Chak Chanret said that Eng Vichet, 40, killed a fellow villager Iem Nou, 69, and was arrested shortly after the incident. He is currently being questioned.

Stoung district deputy police chief Vorn Sophoan said the incident happened at 9:15am on Monday when Nou was fixing a motorbike in front of his house.

Vichet rode up alone on his motorbike, and when he arrived at Nou’s house, he stopped and ran towards him, stabbing him three times with a knife. Nou was rushed to Kampong Thom provincial referral hospital but died of his wounds.

Previous behaviour

Sophoan said the suspect had previously been spotted walking around naked and catching and eating live chickens.

He had been abandoned by family members who feared for their safety while living with him. Sophoan claimed the man didn’t have documentation and that he had a nervous condition.

Authorities who visited the crime scene determined Nou was stabbed once in the upper chest and twice in the stomach.