A 51-year-old Preah Vihear man was arrested on Saturday for brutally murdering a woman last Thursday after she turned down his sexual advances and fought off an attempt to rape her.

Kong Thy, a farmer from Choam Ksan district’s Toek Krahorm commune, was arrested on Saturday after hiding for nearly two days at an army base in the same district. He was ultimately apprehended for killing his neighbour, Yan Chenda, 30, according to Chin Bora, Choam Ksan Military Police deputy commander.

Bora said that after a night of drinking Thy entered the victim’s home and made sexual advances, which she rebuffed. He later returned with a machete and forced himself on her, eventually slashing her with the weapon six times on the face and back when she tried to call out for help.

“I sneaked in to force her, but she tried to get loose and cursed me. Then I just slapped her a few times and took out the machete and slashed her from behind,” Bora quoted from the suspect’s confession.

Bora added that Thy had been provisionally charged with intentional murder by a court prosecutor and will face an investigating judge today.