“The man is not in the correct state of mind and we’re waiting for a medical report that will tell us more about him and his mental status,” said Col. Misfer Al-Juaid, spokesman for Jeddah police.
“Until then, he will be kept in a cell and treated like any other criminal … He already has a file at the mental hospital in Taif but we still need to contact them for confirmation,” he said.
The man murdered his mother by hitting her in the head on Wednesday in the Muntazahat district of the city.
He had threatened to kill both his parents on several occasions in the past, according to his father.
The man fled before police arrived at the scene after they were alerted by neighbors. Officials immediately cordoned off the place and forensic experts were called to gather evidence.
After it became almost certain that the woman’s son was the prime suspect in the murder, police launched a manhunt and circulated a description of the individual.
Director of Jeddah Police Maj. Gen. Ali Muhammad Al-Ghamdi personally supervised the investigation.
The suspect’s father had complained to the police about the unruly behavior of his son.
He told the officials that his son used to threaten him and his wife if they failed to meet his demands.
“It seems the youth had an argument with his mother before he murdered her. His father had contacted the police and complained about his son disobeying them. He had said that his son used to threaten them both and beat them if they did not fulfill his wishes,” said the police spokesman.
“The dispute centered around the parents disapproving of his wife,” he added.
