N.Y.C. Man Accused of Chopping Pregnant Wife's Arm Off with Steak Knife Is Arrested Near Canadian Border
Police have arrested a New York City man accused of cutting his pregnant wife’s arm off before going on the run, PEOPLE learns.
Yong Lu, 35, was captured in Niagara Falls, about 400 miles away, on Saturday night.
A rookie officer made the arrest after spotting Lu, who was wanted by the New York Police Department, in a restaurant, according to the Niagara Falls police.
Lu allegedly fled after attacking his wife inside their Brooklyn apartment on Thursday.
An NYPD source tells PEOPLE Lu allegedly used a steak knife to cut off his 35-year-old wife’s right arm in an alleged domestic dispute.
He also allegedly cut off two of the fingers on her left hand.
His wife was transported to Bellevue Hospital where she remains in stable condition after surgeons successfully reattached her arm.
The wife is pregnant, and the unborn child was not harmed in the attack, the source tells PEOPLE.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Niagara Falls police had been notified by the New York City Police Department and the U.S. Marshals that Lu was likely in the city.
They tracked him to a crowded eatery, where a young officer quickly handcuffed him.
The officer is being lauded for containing a situation that could have turned violent.
When Lu was detained, he was carrying a life jacket with him.
Police allege he was planning to swim across a river to gain access to Canada.
On Friday, Crime Stoppers Buffalo issued an update on Lu, suggesting he may be in the Niagara Falls area after allegedly offering a bus driver cash to let him cross the border into Canada while hiding in the vehicle’s luggage compartment. The bus driver refused and notified authorities.
Lu is being extradited to New York City, where he’ll be formally charged with first-degree assault.
It was unclear Monday if he had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
