Man Slashed Wife's Throat, Held Her Hand As She Died In Bathtub: Police

KEY POINTS

The 21-year-old man said he was angry with his wife because she burned his passport and slashed her throat
He said he held his wife’s hand as she was bleeding to death in a bathtub
The man told police he did not stop short of killing her because that was "not how he was raised"

Altamonte Springs, Florida -- A 21-year-old man in Florida was arrested after admitting to murdering his wife by slashing her throat and watching her bleed to death in a bathtub earlier this week, authorities said.

Xichen Yang was arrested by officers with the Altamonte Springs Police Department on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence after he confessed to killing his wife, 21-year-old Nhu Quynh Pham, inside their apartment Tuesday, Law & Crime reported, citing court records.

Yang became angry with his wife that day for burning his passport. He then allegedly cut Pham’s throat with a knife, according to the arrest report.

After slashing her throat, Yang allegedly placed his wife in the bathtub, where he held her hand for 10 minutes until she died, the report said.

He told police that he tried to clean the crime scene, according to the arrest report.

Yang was asked by investigators why he did not stop short of killing Pham. The 21-year-old responded by saying that that was "not how he was raised" and that he is the type of person "who always goes all the way," the report said.

It was also learned that before he was arrested, Yang told his employer that he could not report for work that day because he killed his wife.

Police had been called to their residence three times in the past, WKMG-TV reported. The most recent call came less than two weeks before Pham was allegedly murdered.

"She called where he was doing self-harm to himself, and they had gotten into an altercation. There was a history of altercations," Altamonte Springs police spokesperson Michelle Montalvo told the outlet. "When officers got on scene and got all the details, they were able to determine he was doing self-harm to himself, and the victim was also concerned for him. He was taken into protective custody."

Yang is currently being held without bond. It was not clear if he has entered a plea.

Yang’s attorney Carrie Rentz could not be immediately reached for comment, according to People.

A GoFundMe campaign has been put up to help raise funds for Pham’s funeral expenses.