AICHI (TR) – A 57-year-old man arrested here for stealing a fire engine told police he intentionally started a fire at a train station restroom to lure the emergency vehicle so he could drive it home, reports NHK (Apr. 27).
The unnamed suspect, whose occupation is unknown and who claims to reside in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, was sent to prosecutors on Monday morning on suspicion of vehicle theft.
The incident unfolded on Sunday at Meitetsu Kowa Station in the town of Mihama. According to authorities, the fire engine had rushed to the station to extinguish a suspicious fire that broke out in the women’s public restroom.
While emergency personnel were occupied with the blaze, the suspect allegedly commandeered the parked fire engine.
Upon his arrest, the suspect admitted to the allegations, providing investigators with his motive for the grand theft.
“I didn’t have any money, so I thought I would steal a fire engine to go back to Kisarazu,” he stated.
Further questioning revealed the brazen, premeditated nature of the crime. “I thought if I set a fire in the restroom, a fire engine would come and I could steal it,” the suspect told police.
At the time of his apprehension, the man had zero cash in his possession. He claimed to have lost his funds prior to the incident, telling police, “I dropped my money at Kowa Station”.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the full sequence of events, including the suspect’s timeline and his claims regarding the missing money.
