KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police last week arrested a 36-year-old company employee for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, who later died from his injuries, reports (Aug. 18).
Isamu Saito is accused of punching toddler Ryoki Fujii in the face and violently shaking him at his apartment in Yokohama at around 8:00 p.m. on August 17.
Upon his arrest, Saito admitted to the allegations. “I warned him because he was hitting the wall of the room, but he pretended to be asleep, which made me angry,” he was quoted as telling investigators.
According to police, the 22-year-old mother returned home from shopping to find her son limp and unresponsive. The toddler was rushed to a hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead. Medical staff noted multiple bruises on his face and bleeding from his nose.
A neighbor’s testimony suggests a potential history of abuse. “I would occasionally hear a man raising his voice and the sound of something being struck. After that, the child’s voice would suddenly stop,” the neighbor told reporters.
The mother, who met Saito through social media, had moved from Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture to his Yokohama apartment with her three sons just days before the fatal incident.
Local child consultation centers had received no prior reports regarding the family. Police are now investigating the case with a view toward upgrading the charges to injury resulting in death.
