An individual of Chinese-American descent, wanted for the murder of his 76-year-old mother, was apprehended by US Marshals on Christmas Eve at a motel in upstate New York. The suspect, Wei Hou, allegedly bludgeoned his mother, Zhu Hou, to death during a family altercation on December 18 at her residence in Knickerbocker Village on the Lower East Side.
Wei Hou was located at the Castle Inn in Schodack, just south of Albany, and was taken into custody after a brief standoff, as reported by the US Marshals service. Zhu Hou’s body was discovered on December 19 alongside a bloodied skateboard.
“[Wei] Hou is a naturalized US citizen who was born in China,” stated the US Marshals. “Hou had a significant criminal background in multiple states and was under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for a felony narcotics conviction at the time of his arrest.”
Public records indicate that Wei Hou had served up to two years in prison for a third-degree possession of a controlled substance charge but was released after only four months on October 14.
Wei Hou’s mother’s body was found in the hallway of her seventh-floor apartment after a 911 call from her eldest son. Sources revealed that Wei Hou had a history of conflicts with his elderly mother prior to the fatal altercation.
It was reported that Wei Hou had been wanted on charges of second-degree murder and had made threats to harm himself during the standoff with authorities.
Following his arrest, Wei Hou was receiving treatment for undisclosed injuries and was scheduled to be handed over to the NYPD later that day. Police directed all inquiries about the arrest to the US Marshals.
