A man was arrested in Tbong Khmum province on Monday for beating his wife to death after she accused him of wasting money on a party that morning, police said Tuesday.
Chheng Vutha, 27, was arrested at his house in Tbong Khmum district’s Mang Riev commune at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday after beating Ouk Seiha, also 27, to death at around noon, according to district police chief Lung Sarin. He said Mr. Vutha was charged by the provincial court Tuesday afternoon, but temporarily returned to police custody in the evening due to the lateness of proceedings.
“He was arrested after he beat his wife to death using his hands,” Mr. Sarin said, adding that the victim’s wounds indicated that her neck was also snapped.
“Her face was swollen, she had a black left eye, and her neck had been broken,” he said.
Mr. Sarin said investigators questioned the couple’s neighbors, who told them that Mr. Vutha and his wife began arguing after he threw a party for friends and relatives on Monday morning.
“After the party, Ms. Seiha accused her husband of wasting money on the drinks and blaming his actions for the family’s poverty,” he said. “He could not tolerate this and got very angry with her. So he beat her to death.”
Commune police chief Las Ros said neighbors reported that the couple argued frequently.
“According to neighbors, the couple started arguing in their home before they started fighting, but the neighbors did not go to help because they did not consider it their business,” he said, adding that locals later called police when they sensed that something was wrong, ensuring Mr. Vutha’s timely arrest.
Mr. Ros said the couple had a 5-year-old son, and that the families of the suspect and victim were fighting for custody of the boy.
