JEDDAH, 30 December — A man arrested in Taif recently on charges of murdering his 60-year-old mother has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Baha as he showed symptoms of mental trouble, a newspaper reported yesterday.
The doctors at the hospital, where the 30-year-old is admitted, declined to comment on his present state of health as investigations into the case are still under way, Al-Watan said.
According to informed sources, the man confessed to police that he had slit his mother’s neck and hit her on the head with a hard object after covering her in a blanket. Then he doused the blanket in petrol and set it on fire, the paper quoted the source as saying.
Baha police arrested the man on Dec. 21 at his native of village of Al-Hawiyah in Taif region where he fled after allegedly dumping the body in a ravine in a deserted area on the Baha-Taif road. Police searched both sides of the Baha-Taif road and branch roads but were unable to find the body.
The man had gone to Baha to visit his sister on Eid Al-Fitr with his mother. The murder reportedly took place on Dec. 19.
A relative of the murdered woman had informed police that the woman was missing and that her house was left open and blood stains were found all over the place. Neighbors had told police that the accused was the last person who visited the house.
Police notified all stations in the area about the incident and gave them a description of the man and his car.
