OSAKA (TR) – A juvenile suspect made a dramatic escape on Monday afternoon, plunging into a river to evade arresting officers near the Osaka Detention House in Osaka City’s Miyakojima Ward, reports Kyodo News (July 6).
According to investigative sources from the Osaka Prefectural Police, the young man was visiting the detention center for a meeting. When detectives from the Aichi Prefectural Police’s Organized Crime Countermeasures Bureau — who had obtained a warrant for his arrest — approached him for questioning, the suspect bolted.
He dove into the nearby river, swam across to the opposite bank, and successfully fled the area in a vehicle.
Aichi police have not disclosed the specific charges against the minor, but stated that he is not believed to be carrying any weapons. Osaka Prefectural Police have launched a manhunt to track down the fugitive.
A 40-something male employee of a nearby yakatabune (houseboat) business witnessed the chaotic scene unfold. He reported seeing a young man struggling against the river’s current as he swam across, while individuals believed to be police investigators sprinted across a nearby bridge in hot pursuit.
