Three Kompong Thom villagers remained in serious condition Sunday, a week after police say a man went on a drunken rampage, attacking them with a machete.
Phuon Sophoan, 30, her mother Choa Ly, 48, and Phuon Sophoan’s daughter, Neang Sona, 4, were recovering in Stung district hospital with machete wounds from an alleged attack by Phuon Sophoan’s husband and Neang Sona’s father, Norn Neang, Kompong Thom Deputy Police Chief Kim Ann said.
The incident occurred in the family’s home Sept 2, Kim Ann said. Norn Neang allegedly came home drunk and, using vulgar language, asked his wife for rice. When she refused and Choa Ly began chastising him for using bad language, Norn Neang grabbed a machete, Kim Ann said.
Norn Neang cut his wife on the head four times, Kim Ann said. When Choa Ly intervened, he cut off four of her fingers on her left hand and slashed her right forearm, Kim Ann said. Norn Neang then turned on his daughter, who also tried to help. He cut her from her right eye to her right ear, and the girl lost her eye as result of the attack, Kim Ann said.
Norn Neang then dropped the machete and fled. Police arrested him two days later on National Route 6 as he waited to catch a taxi to take him to Siem Reap, Kim Ann said. Authorities continued to hold him Sunday evening, and were preparing charges of “intentional murder” against him, according to Kim Ann.
