Moscow police have detained a man accused of killing and beheading his wife and infant son after a days-long drinking binge over the New Year's holidays, a news report said.
Police officers and troops from the Interior Ministry's rapid response center detained the man at the Aviamotornaya metro station in eastern Moscow around midnight, Interfax reported Wednesday, citing an unidentified law enforcement official.
After the bodies of the woman and her child were discovered on Tuesday, the man, a security guard by profession, emerged as the main suspect. Police sent out his description to units around the capital and begin an intensive search, the report said.
An unidentified police official told Interfax that the man had been binge drinking for several days. He killed his family and decapitated their bodies following a quarrel with his wife, the official said.
Initial reports about the victims' ages were conflicting, with an unidentified police officer saying the boy was 7 months old and the mother was 28 years old, while Investigative Committee spokeswoman Yulia Ivanova put the baby's age at 14 months and the mother's at 27 years, according to Interfax.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
