Adam Silverman

Burlington Free Press

A 34-year-old Burlington man just released from the hospital after seeking a mental-health evaluation over concerns about his relationship with his wife returned home Thursday afternoon and killed her with a cleaver on the sidewalk out front, police say.

The man's mother-in-law suffered severe injuries in the assault, which ended when an armed bystander detained the suspect until officers arrived, police Chief Brandon del Pozo said.

FRIDAY UPDATE:Burlington police give update on fatal cleaver attack case

The accused is Aita Gurung of 72 Hyde St., the Old North End address where the attack took place, del Pozo said in a statement Thursday night. Gurung was in custody. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.

He is expected to be arraigned Friday morning in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington. Jail records show Gurung was being held Thursday night on suspicion of second-degree murder and attempted murder.

Slain was Gurung's wife, identified by police as 32-year-old Yogeswari Khadka. Her mother, Tulasa Rimal, 54, remained in critical condition Thursday night at the University of Vermont Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said at 8:25 p.m.

Gurung's and Khadka's 8-year-old child was at school at the time and was unhurt, the chief said.

Gurung had called the police Saturday to seek attention "for mental health issues and concerns about his deteriorating relationship with his wife," del Pozo said.

Police called an ambulance, and Gurung was brought to the UVM hospital. His father-in-law told police Gurung "was voluntarily admitted for a mental health evaluation. Upon his request, he was discharged today," del Pozo said Thursday night.

The attack began at about 2:30 p.m. in the kitchen of 72 Hyde St. and spilled out onto the street. Khadka suffered wounds to her skull, arms and hands, the chief said. Rimal suffered severe head injuries, del Pozo added.

Once the attack spilled outside, neighbors tried to intervene, "including a man armed with a firearm who held the suspect at bay momentarily, but they were wary of being attacked themselves," del Pozo said.

"A team of officers approached Gurung and used the cover of a ballistic shield to take him into custody."

The front door of the gray, two-story clapboard house with a small porch remained ajar at 6 p.m. Thursday. At least three uniformed Burlington police officers and three marked cruisers remained at the scene. Later, around 7:30 p.m., the Vermont State Police's crime scene command post vehicle arrived.

Yellow crime-scene tape closed off Hyde Street in front of the scene to cars and pedestrians.

A bicycle lay on the pavement directly in front of the home, and a pink helmet decorated with bright flowers dangled from the handlebars. Just south of the bike, where the driveway crossed the sidewalk, what appeared to be discarded medical supplies were strewn on the ground.

Neighbors stood on porches and balconies nearby and watched as the scene darkened after sunset. Police turned on the blue lights of their cruisers. An officer arrived with cups of coffee.

People out for a walk gathered on the corner of Hyde and Pomeroy streets to talk about what happened. How many people had been killed? One? Two? Was there a suspect?

"Did you guys hear anything? I heard somebody got killed with a meat cleaver," one woman said after pedaling up to the group on her bicycle.

"Yeah, that's what happened," a man responded.

Editor's note: This story has been edited to reflect updated information from the Burlington Police Department correcting the spelling of Tulasa Rimal's name.

Contributing: Brent Hallenbeck, Free Press. Contact Adam Silverman at 802-660-1854 or asilverman@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wej12.