A 56-year-old Chinese national, Cha Cheol-nam, who is suspected of murdering two individuals and injuring two others, was transferred to prosecutors. According to police investigations, Cha had planned the murders since early this month and then committed additional crimes after feeling that "life was over."
The Siheung Police Station stated in a briefing on the 27th that Cha Cheol-nam is scheduled to be sent to prosecutors under arrest on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Earlier, Cha Cheol-nam was accused of murdering two brothers in their 50s, who are Chinese nationals, with a blunt instrument at his home in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, and at one of the brothers' nearby houses on the afternoon of the 17th. He is also accused of injuring a 60-year-old store owner, B, at a convenience store near his home on the morning of the 19th, and then later that afternoon stabbing a 70-year-old property owner, C, at a sports park about 1.3 kilometers away from the convenience store.
According to police, Cha Cheol-nam entered the country in 2012 and had lent A and his brother a total of about 30 million won several times in Chinese currency, as they were close like brothers. Cha stated during police investigations that "The A brothers have the ability to repay, but they continued not to return the money" and "I felt that I had been taken advantage of and decided to kill them." However, police were unable to find any related transaction history in Cha's financial accounts.
Cha Cheol-nam had been preparing for the crime by purchasing a weapon more than 10 days before the act. After murdering the A brothers on the 17th, he stole the victims' SUV and spent two days in the vehicle. Believing he would be caught, Cha did not escape far and stayed around his home or near a nearby reservoir.
During this time, Cha Cheol-nam committed additional crimes after feeling that "life was over." According to police investigations, after stabbing B with a weapon on the morning of the 19th, he fled in a car and had a meal and drank alcohol around Jeongwang Station. He then stole a bicycle by the roadside, went to find C, and stabbed him with a weapon. B and C are both reported to be receiving treatment in the hospital.
Cha Cheol-nam stated to the police regarding his motive for the additional crimes that it was because B "bad-mouthed me" and for C it was because "he ignored me." However, police believe there was not significant conflict between Cha and B or C. C stated during police investigations that "Cha and I used to share meals together, indicating we had a good relationship."
Cha Cheol-nam first entered the country in 1997. After living as an illegal resident, he left the country in 2002. After entering with an F-4 visa in 2012, he has been living legally. In the country, he did not have a special job, living by doing odd jobs or selling items discarded by neighbors through a second-hand trading app. At the time of his arrest by the police, Cha's account had almost no balance.
Police conducted a diagnostic test for antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy) on Cha Cheol-nam, but the results indicated that he was not affected. On the 19th, police issued a wanted notice for Cha, and he was caught on the road near Siheung Lake the same afternoon.