A Romanian caregiver in Austria, threatened with a gun by the son of the woman she was caring for

A 23-year-old Romanian caregiver was threatened with a gun by the son of the woman she was caring for at a residence in Pischelsdorf am Engelbach, Braunau district, Upper Austria, on Sunday evening, November 1, 2026. The young woman took refuge in a room and alerted the police, while the house was surrounded by police units and Cobra special forces.

The incident reportedly began with an argument over the care of the 84-year-old woman. Her son, a 63-year-old Austrian, allegedly drew a legally owned firearm and threatened the Romanian woman. She managed to flee into a room, lock the door and contact an acquaintance, who called the police at 10:24 p.m.

Police established a security perimeter and requested the intervention of the Cobra unit. Negotiators spoke with the man by phone and convinced him to surrender. He left the residence at 1:29 a.m. and was detained without incident. The pistol had been placed in a safe.

No one was injured. According to the Austrian press, the man had consumed alcohol, and his blood alcohol level was reportedly approximately one per mille. The Ried im Innkreis Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation on suspicion of aggravated threats. The suspect, who reportedly had no previous criminal record, was due to be questioned, while the authorities were to decide whether he would be placed in pretrial detention.