A Chinese man was apprehended in Hong Kong over the weekend in connection with the beating deaths of his two teenage nephews in Arcadia, California, according to reports.

Shi Deyun, 44, boarded a Cathay Pacific flight on Jan 22 in an attempt to reach the Chinese mainland. But he was taken into custody by local police after his plane landed in Hong Kong.

He was admitted to a local hospital for what Hong Kong media described as an unstable mental condition.

The two slain boys, ages 15 and 16, were found dead by their mother in their Arcadia home on the morning of Jan 22. Police said they suffered blunt-force trauma to their upper torsos.

Shi's wife, Lin Yujing, the sister of the two boys' father, had filed a temporary restraining order against Shi on Dec 31.

On Jan 21, Shi learned of his wife's plan to seek a divorce at a court hearing in Pasadena. An angry Shi attacked his wife after the hearing and tried to find her in her brother's home the next day, according to a report by China Press.

Shi didn't find Lin at home, but his two nephews, Anthony Lin and William Lin, both international students at Arcadia High School, were in the house.

China does not have an extradition agreement with the United States, but Hong Kong has had an extradition treaty with the US since 1996.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com