AICHI (TR) – Police have arrested a 27-year-old office worker accused of unleashing pepper spray inside a Nagoya video arcade earlier this month, leaving nearly two dozen patrons gasping for air, reports Fuji News Network (June 15).
Yuto Saito is suspected of forcible obstruction of business after he allegedly sprayed a noxious substance inside the amusement center on June 8, forcing a mass evacuation of the premises.
Upon his arrest, Saito fully admitted to the allegations.
According to police, 23 men and women complained of sudden throat pain following the incident, with eight victims requiring transport to a local hospital.
“My throat suddenly started feeling scratchy,” a patron at the scene told reporters. “People playing music games nearby started coughing too, and I wondered what was going on.”
Investigative sources revealed that security camera footage captured a man resembling Saito playing a rhythm game just moments before the attack. Immediately after, the suspect was seen moving through the arcade, discharging a small spray canister attached to a keyring before fleeing the scene.
During a search of Saito’s residence, officers confiscated a small canister of self-defense tear gas, a type commonly available for purchase on internet shopping sites.
