KANAGAWA (TR) – Police have arrested a 36-year-old care worker for allegedly assaulting a woman and stealing her smartphone on a street in Yokohama City, with the suspect ultimately tracked down by the victim’s friend.
According to police, Akihiko Nakamura approached the 31-year-old victim as she was walking home during the early hours of May 5. He allegedly covered her mouth to silence her before snatching her smartphone and fleeing the scene in a car.
During questioning, Nakamura, who lives in Yokohama, denied the allegations, telling investigators, “I did not steal the mobile phone.”
The suspect’s apprehension was thanks to the stolen device’s location data. GPS tracking showed that the phone had been moved to neighboring Kawasaki City.
Using this information, a male acquaintance of the victim headed to the location and discovered Nakamura sitting inside his vehicle. Following a heated dispute between the two men, the acquaintance searched the car and recovered the victim’s stolen smartphone.
The acquaintance subsequently escorted Nakamura to a local police station, where he was handed over to authorities.
