KOTA BARU, June 21 — A suspected drug addict severed the ankle of an elderly woman after she refused to give him money near Pasir Mas on Sunday.

Neighbours, who heard the 89-year-old’s cries, apprehended the teenage suspect fleeing from the scene.

Police said Mek Som Mat Diah was taken to hospital but surgeons failed to reattach the limb.

Pasir Mas police chief ACP Ibrahim Saad confirmed that the victim’s ankle was severed in the attack.

The 19-year-old suspect entered the victim’s home about 6pm and confronted the elderly woman and her 50-year-old daughter.

The victim tripped and fell while trying to escape the intruder but the daughter managed to run away.

Armed with a sharp object, the youth demanded money from the victim. When she failed to give in to his demands, the teenager turned violent and severed her ankle.

The suspect is under remand and will be charged  for attempted murder.