Son accused of killing, beheading father

• Tweet

SYDNEY, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- An Australian man has been arrested and charged for allegedly beheading his father in southwest Sydney Thursday morning, officials said.

Khoder Zahab, 42, was arrested Thursday after allegedly attacking and killing his father, Toufic Zahab, 69, with a brick and a knife inside his home, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The suspect was charged with murder, common assault and assaulting police.

The attack allegedly happened after Khoder Zahab got into a fight with his mother; Toufic Zahab stepped in and his son hit him with a brick several times. The son then allegedly decapitated his father.

"The scene is quite disturbing," Detective Chief Inspector Glen Fitzgerald said. "It's been a difficult morning for both the family and police."

Fitzgerald said there were a number of other family members in the home at the time of the attack, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

"That's all still subject to investigation. Still very early, and there's a lot of statements currently underway," he said. "We've got a lot of family here. They were present at the home and the neighboring place -- it was a duplex owned by the entire family."