A 23-year-old man from New Zealand is believed to have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly strangled a 70-year-old man and stomped on his head at Pacific Place in Admiralty.
Officers are still investigating the motive and have not ruled out the possibility that it was a random attack, sources said.
It is understood that the New Zealander, whom officers arrested at Mui Wo Ferry Pier yesterday, is suspected of suffering from mental illness.
According to the Hospital Authority, the victim sustained face and neck injuries. As of last night, he remained in critical condition at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.
Footage circulating online shows the 70-year-old sitting on a bench near the third-floor glass guardrail in Pacific Place. It is believed to be around 8pm on Wednesday. The assailant, wearing black, then appears suddenly and grabs the victim by the neck. The senior initially struggles but appears to lose consciousness shortly afterward.
The assailant maintains the stranglehold for at least five seconds after the man stops struggling and then drops him to the floor.
The assailant proceeds to kick the victim, stomping on his head seven times while cursing him.
After kicking the victim's chest as well, the assailant flees the scene and heads in the direction of the high court.
A janitor later found the victim lying on the floor, unconscious and in a pool of blood, and called the police. The victim was sent to Queen Mary Hospital in critical condition while officers cordoned off the area for investigation.
Some articles of clothing and a pool of blood were seen at the scene. Sources said a man fled the scene with a knife in hand.
However, after preliminary investigation, officers said the suspect appeared to have assaulted the victim only with his hands and feet.
The suspect is described as around 1.7 meters tall and of medium build with short black hair. He was wearing a black top and black pants during the attack.
Police appealed to the public to contact officers at 2860-7822 if they have any knowledge of the incident.
It remains unclear whether the assailant and the victim knew each other.
The victim's wife told local media that she was in the dark regarding the details of the incident.
"My husband might have just gone for a walk and took a break on a seat in Pacific Place," the wife said.
"I have no idea what to do next and it is useless to stay worried," she said, adding that her husband might have been attacked by a stranger.
Sources said last night that the suspect was arrested by the Hong Kong Island regional crime squad on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a similar case last year, 31-year-old Eurasian Matthew Choi Naam-sang allegedly slashed 48-year-old taxi driver Wai Kim-hung on the neck with a cleaver during the early hours of October 12.
The Sai Wan attack occurred seconds after Choi boarded the cab and appears to have been random in nature.
Wai died two hours later. Officers arrested Choi on Lamma Island two days after the attack following a tip-off from Lamma residents.
michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com
