A family drama occurred in Bad Münstereifel near Bonn on Wednesday night. A man is said to have seriously injured his wife and two of his children. The perpetrator was arrested after fleeing on the A61.

A 34-year-old man is said to have seriously injured his wife and two of his children by stabbing them in Bad Münstereifel near Bonn. After the crime on Wednesday night, he is said to have started a fire in the apartment, which spread to the apartment building, a police spokesman said. The family’s third child suffered smoke inhalation.

The suspect fled the scene and police officers were able to arrest him in the morning at a rest area on the A61 motorway.

All of the injured were taken to hospital. The injuries of the 33-year-old woman and the two children were “serious,” said the spokesman, and life-threatening injuries could not be ruled out. The three children are 10, 13 and 15 years old.

The motive for the crime was initially unclear. The fire brigade was on site with numerous emergency personnel to extinguish the fire.