A young man from the north-central Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa has been arrested for stabbing two elderly residents to death and stealing their money to fund his gaming habit.

Officers under the provincial Department of Public Security confirmed on Sunday they had captured Vu Tien Long, 22, for murder and robbery.

Residents in Ha Bac Commune, Ha Trung District reported having found the bodies of Tong Duy Nghien, 70, and his wife, 67-year-old Cu Thi Kien, at their home on the morning of October 7.

An autopsy revealed that Nghien was stabbed 18 times and Kien 25 times. Many of the stab wounds hit their hearts, lungs, and kidneys.

Officers believed that the murder took place in the small hours of the same day.

The victims’ house is located in a secluded neighborhood, they added.

Investigators spent days probing hundreds of potential suspects in Ha Trung District and were able to gather sufficient evidence to arrest Long.

Long was playing at a local online game shop at the time of his arrest.

Police confiscated two mobile phones, valued at VND7 million (US$302), and a switchblade.

At the police station, Long claimed he was a gaming addict and needed money to play at local online game centers.

At around 4:00 am on October 7, Long carried the switchblade to the house of Nghien and Kien and broke into their kitchen.

As their dog started to bark, the elderly couple headed to their yard and saw Long running, before trying to stop him.

The victims ended up getting stabbed to death.

After the murder, Long took their two mobile phones and headed to Ha Tung Town in the namesake district.

Further investigation is ongoing.

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