Dutch woman stabbed to death in Australia while on video call

A Dutch woman was brutally stabbed to death in her home in Melbourne earlier this week, while she was video calling with a friend on Skype. The victim was identified as 61-year-old Maud Steenbeek, a yoga instructor from the Netherlands who retired in Heidelberg, Australia, the Telegraaf reports.

Steenbeek was video calling with a friend when the perpetrator snuck up behind her and attacked her. The connection was broken and the friend called one of Steenbeek's sons in a panic.

The son rushed to his mother's home. He found her body on the floor and the suspected perpetrator still in the house. The son attacked and seriously injured him. He dragged the man out of the house, where responding police officers arrested the suspect, a 28-year-old man identified as Xochil O'N.

Witnesses stated that shortly before the attack they saw a man resembling the suspect act strangely on the street. Neighbors saw him climbing trees, crawling under cars, and shouting incomprehensible things.

The suspect is currently in critical condition at the Royal Hospital of Melbourne. He is being closely guarded by police and will be arraigned as soon as he is medically capable.

Steenbeek's family from the Netherlands rushed to Australia to attend her funeral and support her two sons, according to the newspaper.