A mentally ill 39-year-old man in Taichung has been charged with attempted murder of a parent after slashing his mother with a kitchen knife and then running naked through the streets covered in blood.

• The man tried to walk out of his home naked in late March; his 70-year-old mother grabbed him to stop him.
• He knocked her down, kicked her, then took a kitchen knife and slashed her head, neck and chest, leaving deep wounds.
• He then took the knife and ran naked about 1.4 kilometres through the city, terrifying people who called police.
• Police cornered him at an intersection and subdued him with pepper spray; he was still shouting "why are you trying to kill me?" as he was taken to hospital.
• His mother crawled to a phone and called for help, and survived after emergency treatment.

Outlook: He has been committed to a psychiatric facility, and his mental state will likely be central to the court case ahead.