By Sultan Al-Maimoni

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MADINAH —

A six-year-old boy was murdered near a coffee shop in Al-Tilal neighborhood of Madinah in front of his mother’s eyes by an unidentified man, who had no relationship with the victim or his family.

According to informed sources, the crime Wednesday evening was not premeditated and the suspect had no obvious motives.

The source said the 35-year-old assailant was sitting in the coffee shop and went out when he saw the young boy walking in front of him in the company of his mother.

The sources said the killer quickly grabbed the boy from the hands of his mother, broke a bottle he found near the coffee shop and stabbed him.

The boy had ordered a meal from a nearby restaurant and was going to collect it when the man saw him.

The sources said the mother fought desperately to save her son while screaming for help from passerby.

A policeman, who happened to be at the scene by chance, unsuccessfully tried to save the child from the grips of the man. He, however, was able to overpower him after his atrocious act before more officers arrived at the scene.

The sources said the mother was a heart patient working in Jeddah and she came to Madinah with her son to pray at the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque.

The mother was in complete shock and was taken to hospital.

The Madinah police opened an investigation into the incident, which baffled residents of the holy city.