Man arrested after threatening two girls with wooden slat in Vienna

A 35-year-old intoxicated man was arrested after allegedly trying to hit two girls with a wooden slat and threatening to kill them in Vienna’s Neubau district, ORF reported Friday. His motive is unknown.

The incident happened at about 9.15pm in Sophienpark. The girls, aged 15 and 17, managed to flee. The man allegedly threw the slat after them. They later told police they did not know him and that there had been no prior argument or other confrontation.

Officers from Vienna’s standby unit stopped the man, who became increasingly aggressive. Police from Kandlgasse station and the standby unit arrested him using physical force, police said. He remains in police custody. A preliminary breath test showed 1.6 parts per thousand.