Boy, 5, Allegedly Beheaded by Stranger at Home in Front of His Mother

A 5-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by a stranger and beheaded in front of his mother in their home.

The alleged incident took place in Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India, on Friday, Sept. 26, according to local authorities, per NDTV, Kaumadi Online and News.com Australia.

A 25-year-old man named Mahesh allegedly broke into the family’s house, picked up a sharp shovel that he found inside the home and then used the tool to attack the boy — who has been identified as Vikas.

The attacker allegedly severed the boy’s head from his body and continued to attack his torso as the victim’s mother watched. The mother attempted to intervene during the alleged attack and was subsequently injured, per the outlets.

The mom’s screams reportedly drew the attention of surrounding neighbors, who rushed to the scene and allegedly began beating the attacker. The attacker died from the resulting injuries en route to the hospital, per the outlets.

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Superintendent of Dhar Police Mayank Awasthi called the incident “extremely heartbreaking” in a statement obtained by NDTV and Kaumadi Online.

He also said that an initial investigation indicates that Mahesh had no relation or affiliation to the victim or his family, but was likely “mentally unstable,” per the outlets, which added that Mahesh’s parents told authorities that he had been missing for days before the attack.

PEOPLE reached out to the superintendent of Dhar Police for comment on Sunday, Sept. 28, but did not receive an immediate response.