Executive Summary
- Wei Hou, 41, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Schodack, New York, in connection with his mother’s death.
- The body of Zhu Hou, 76, was discovered in her Lower East Side apartment on December 19.
- The suspect was under state supervision for a prior narcotics conviction at the time of the alleged offense.
Wei Hou, 41, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday in upstate New York in connection with the bludgeoning death of his 76-year-old mother in Manhattan. Authorities tracked Hou to the Castle Inn in Schodack, located south of Albany, where he was apprehended following a brief standoff on Christmas Eve.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the suspect was sought on second-degree murder charges related to the death of Zhu Hou, whose body was discovered inside her Lower East Side apartment on December 19. Police sources indicate the victim was found with fatal injuries next to a bloodied skateboard in the hallway of her home in Knickerbocker Village.
Hou, a naturalized U.S. citizen, reportedly has a criminal history across multiple states. At the time of his arrest, he was under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision following a release in October from a sentence for a felony narcotics conviction. Officials stated he threatened self-harm during the standoff and was treated for unspecified injuries before his expected transfer to NYPD custody.
Investigative Outlook
With the suspect now in custody, the focus of the investigation shifts to the transfer of the defendant to New York City jurisdiction and the subsequent arraignment proceedings. Law enforcement officials will likely coordinate with the District Attorney to solidify the evidentiary timeline regarding the domestic dispute preceding the fatality. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
