The Taoyuan District Court on Sunday issued an order for the detention of a man who allegedly stabbed and killed a convenience store clerk earlier in the day after being asked to wear a mask.
The court said there was sufficient evidence to suggest that the man, surnamed Chiang (蔣), was a suspect in the homicide, citing witness statements and investigations by prosecutors and police investigators, as well as footage from surveillance cameras.
As a homicide offense is subject to a minimum of 10 years in jail, the court said that it is possible the suspect could flee, thus requiring detention.
Photo: Chen En-hui, Taipei Times
Guishan police station head Feng Li-tse (馮理澤) said that Chiang went to a convenience store in Guishan District (龜山) at about 5am on Sunday without wearing a mask and left the store after being asked by a clerk surnamed Tsai (蔡) to put one on.
Mask wearing remains mandatory at most public venues in compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures.
The 41-year-old suspect returned to the store wearing a mask, but quarreled with Tsai, throwing his mask at Tsai before leaving, Feng said.
Chiang returned to the store a third time and asked to see Tsai before he allegedly stabbed the clerk several times in the chest with a knife he brought with him, prosecutors said.
Police and paramedic staff received a call from people who were at the crime scene.
Tsai was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:18am after efforts to resuscitate him failed, the court said.
Tsai would normally work at a convenience store in New Taipei City, but was assigned by his company to the Guishan location once or twice a week, police said.
Chiang claimed that he has a mental disorder and could not clearly recall details of the stabbing, prosecutors said, adding that further evaluation is to be performed to determine Chiang’s mental health status.
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