2 days ago
Aichi police make two more arrests over Nagoya hotel robbery-murder
The Aichi Prefectural Police on Wednesday arrested a 19-year-old unemployed woman from the city of Nagoya's Nakagawa Ward on suspicion of robbery and murder, following the discovery of a man found dead in a hotel room in the city's central Sakae entertainment district.
Police also arrested a 23-year-old man — Yuya Hatano from the city of Kasugai — on suspicion of extorting the victim into handing over his valuables.
The two arrests follow that of 20-year-old Reon Kato, a resident of the same ward as the woman and whose occupation is unknown, on the same robbery-murder charge.
According to investigators, Kato and the woman are alleged to have killed the man found in the hotel room — a 32-year-old male company employee from Kasugai — by strangling him, and stolen his valuables, including his wristwatch, between 1:00 a.m. and 1:15 a.m. on Saturday.
Investigators believe Hatano instructed the woman and Kato to extort the victim by threatening to report him to the police for alleged sexual misconduct. However, after the woman called Kato to the hotel, the incident escalated into a fatal robbery, police said.
Police said the victim had gone to the hotel with the woman shortly after meeting her for the first time nearby. He was killed soon after by Kato, who arrived separately.
Surveillance footage helped in the identification of the woman and Kato as suspects. Hatano was not present at the time of the killing.
Kato was arrested on Sunday and was found in possession of the victim's belongings. He has reportedly admitted to the charges.
The woman turned herself in at a local police box on Tuesday, accompanied by an acquaintance.
Based on her statements, police determined that Hatano had orchestrated the extortion. Authorities are continuing to investigate the full sequence of events that led to the robbery-murder.
Translated by The Japan Times
