Man held after six relatives slain

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-30 10:15

A fugitive accused of the fatal stabbing of six family members, including his wife and two sons, has been arrested in Hainan province, Beijing police said.

Li Lei, aged in his 30s, of Daxing district, was detained at a business center in Sanya on Saturday, just 26 hours after the bloody crime scene was uncovered in Beijing.

Li, who ran a restaurant near Xihongmen, Fengtai district, is accused of killing his wife, Wang Meiling, aged in her 30s, his parents, his sister, and his two sons, a 7-year-old primary school student and a 1-year-old child.

Li was arrested in a joint operation between Beijing and Hainan police and confessed to his crime during questioning, police told METRO.

Police were called to the crime scene after receiving a 110 emergency call about a murder in an apartment in Qingchengmingyuan, a gated community in Daxing district on Friday.

According to the Beijing Evening News, police found the six bodies in the same room after the fire brigade was called to smash down the door.

Li's nephew said police could not reach Li on his mobile phone after the murder.

A neighbor surnamed Liu told METRO that Li's family had only recently bought the three-bedroom flat.

"The couple was managing a restaurant near Xihongmen, Fengtai district and Li's parents helped by looking after the two children," he said.

A public security press officer surnamed Zi said police are still investigating the case and that it could have been motivated by financial problems.

According to the Beijing Evening news, Li killed his family over a 6 million yuan compensation dispute linked to the demolition of their first house.