Killed Two Chinese Nationals... Stabbed Convenience Store Owner and Landlord Near His Home
Arrested 10 Hours After First Report; Investigation Into Circumstances to Follow
Cha Cheolnam, a Chinese-Korean national and the suspect in the so-called 'Siheung Stabbing Incident,' in which two people were killed and two others were injured with a weapon, was apprehended by the police approximately 10 hours after the initial report. When Cha Cheolnam's whereabouts became unknown, the police distributed wanted posters and switched to a public investigation, which ultimately led to his arrest.
On May 19, the Siheung Police Station in Gyeonggi Province urgently arrested Cha Cheolnam (57) on charges including murder. Cha Cheolnam is accused of killing two people at his home in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, and injuring two others?the owner of a nearby convenience store and the owner of his building?by stabbing them with a weapon on the same day. While tracking Cha Cheolnam, who had been publicly wanted, the police apprehended him at around 7:24 p.m. near Siwaho in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung. It has been reported that Cha Cheolnam admitted to the crimes.
According to the police, earlier that day at around 9:34 a.m., Cha Cheolnam stabbed A, a woman in her 60s and the owner of a convenience store he frequently visited near his residence in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, before fleeing the scene. A suffered serious injuries to her abdomen and face and was transported to the hospital for treatment. Based on A's statement, it is presumed that Cha Cheolnam attacked her because he believed she had spoken ill of him. The stabbing of A was the first incident in this case to become publicly known.
Upon receiving the report, the police checked CCTV footage, but the video was blurry and, aside from the fact that the suspect was wearing a white mask, they could not identify any specific physical features or clothing. However, the police noticed a passenger car passing in front of the convenience store at the time of the incident and suspected it might be the suspect's vehicle. Through a vehicle registration check, they confirmed that the owner was B, a Chinese-Korean male in his 50s. The police immediately went to B's address and found his body inside the residence. The body was believed to have been dead for several days. There were signs of homicide, but the exact method of killing was not determined.
Meanwhile, at around 1:21 p.m. the same day, Cha Cheolnam stabbed C, a man in his 70s and the owner of his building, at a sports park about 1.3 kilometers from the convenience store where the earlier incident occurred. C also suffered stab wounds to the abdomen and was transported to the hospital. Based on C's statement, it is presumed that Cha Cheolnam harbored resentment against C for allegedly looking down on him and attacked him with a weapon.
Based on C's testimony, the police moved to Cha Cheolnam's house, which is located across from the convenience store where the first stabbing occurred. Inside Cha Cheolnam's home, the police found the body of D, another Chinese-Korean man in his 50s. There were also signs of homicide, but the exact method of killing was not revealed.
The two deceased individuals are believed to be brothers. In summary, Cha Cheolnam killed D and B, both Chinese-Korean men in their 50s and presumed to be siblings, one inside his home and the other about 100 meters away. On the morning of May 19, he stabbed A, a Korean woman in her 60s and the owner of a nearby convenience store, and in the afternoon, he stabbed C, a Korean man in his 70s and the owner of his building, at a sports park.
Cha Cheolnam is reported to have admitted to all these charges. However, he remains silent about his relationship with the victims and his motives for the crimes. The police plan to apply for a detention warrant after investigating the specific circumstances of the case.
Previously, the police determined that Cha Cheolnam had killed or injured a total of four people using a weapon and, considering the seriousness of the case, established a special investigation team. They mobilized all available personnel from the Siheung Police Station, including the criminal investigation unit, to pursue Cha Cheolnam. In addition, they distributed wanted posters for Cha Cheolnam and switched to a public investigation. As a result, Cha Cheolnam was apprehended at 7:24 p.m., about 10 hours after the first stabbing was reported.
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