A man in Jilin province who strangled a two-month-old baby to death after stealing a car with the infant inside said "desire and sudden impulse" drove him into committing the crime.

Zhou Xijun, 48, told Xinhua News Agency in an exclusive interview from a detention center that he didn't know what he was thinking when he stole the car on March 4.

When he knew police and residents in Changchun, Jilin province were searching for him and the baby was crying loudly, he became anxious and strangled the baby.

Zhou was sentenced in May by the Changchun Intermediate People's Court to death and also fined 50,000 yuan ($8,064) for car theft and murder and another 17,100 yuan for the funeral expenses.

Zhou appealed citing that he surrendered to police and confessed his crime. The second trial opened on Tuesday in Changchun.

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