The maniac charged with bludgeoning his aged mother to dying in Chinatown simply earlier than Christmas – probably with a skateboard – had been positioned in a drug program that allowed him to shave off virtually 90% of his jail sentence regardless of a number of prior arrests and schizophrenia, The Publish has realized.
China-born Wei Hou was sentenced to 2 years in state jail on felony narcotics costs in June 2025 — however as a substitute was despatched to a 90-day drug therapy program at Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in upstate Chautauqua County, officers mentioned.
If he had been made to finish his full sentence, Hou, 41, would have been behind bars till 2027.
He completed the drug program on Oct. 14 and was launched to parole, data present. Two months later, he killed his mom, Zhu Hou, 76, in her Monroe Road condominium, authorities mentioned.
“They need to have checked out his historical past,” a legislation enforcement supply mentioned. “He shouldn’t have been in any program that will have earned him early launch.”
The Lakeview facility was initially created as a spot for inmates who had been first time offenders, not these with prior arrests or psychological sickness, in keeping with a supply aware of the jail.
Hou had schizophrenia and was a repeat offender. After his Dec. 24 homicide arrests, the U.S. Marshals Service put out a launch saying he had beforehand been arrested in different states, with out detailing the fees.
Hou additionally had documented psychological sickness, included schizophrenia, in keeping with a number of sources.
Hou was having outbursts way back to July 11, 2011, when he was overwhelmed up throughout a keep at Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric unit, legislation enforcement sources mentioned.
And his mother made two calls to cops describing him as emotionally disturbed — as soon as earlier than he went to jail and as soon as after.
On Feb. 9, 2025, she known as cops and mentioned that Hou wasn’t taking his meds and that he was a identified schizophrenic, legislation enforcement sources mentioned.
On Dec. 5, 2025, simply two weeks earlier than she was discovered useless on Dec. 19, she known as once more saying he was “breaking the door and speaking to himself,” the legislation enforcement supply mentioned. She additionally advised the operator her son was emotionally disturbed and had a drug historical past.
Police responded and took him to Bellevue Hospital. It wasn’t clear when he acquired out of the hospital.
Hou shouldn’t have been positioned in Lakewood in any respect, the supply aware of the ability mentioned.
The supply cited Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022 Much less-is-Extra Act as a power pushing the courts to steer criminals to the least restrictive applications attainable.
“He mustn’t have been let go in 90 days after which went out and killed his mom,” the supply mentioned.
The state Division of Corrections and Neighborhood Supervision didn’t reply an electronic mail in search of remark about whether or not the state was conscious of Hou’s felony historical past and psychological well being points.
