(AP) —A woman tricked a 6-year-old boy into going into a field in northern China, and then gouged out his eyes, police said Wednesday.

The boy's brutal ordeal happened Saturday in a rural area of Linfen city in Shanxi province, the city's police bureau said in a statement. State media said the boy was recovering in a hospital.

A police officer who only gave his surname, Liu, said he couldn't speculate on a motive because the investigation was continuing.
"We are sparing no efforts trying to solve this case," Liu added.

Liu said the boy's eyeballs were found at the scene, and that the corneas hadn't been removed.

State media previously had raised the possibility that the boy's corneas were taken for sale because of a donor shortage in China.