HOKKAIDO (TR) – A formerly married couple from Sapporo City’s Shiroishi Ward has been arrested on fraud charges after allegedly racking up a hefty bill at a love hotel and vanishing without paying, reports Hokkaido News UHB (Nov. 11).
The suspects, a 41-year-old unemployed woman and a 45-year-old man who describes himself as a painter, are accused of checking into a love hotel in Teine Ward and staying from the early hours of September 6 through the night of September 10.
During their four-day stay, the pair allegedly consumed services totaling approximately 110,000 yen.
The scheme came to light on September 10, when the hotel staff contacted police, explaining that they could no longer reach the guests and requesting an emergency welfare check. When officers entered the room, they found the suspects had already fled the premises.
Following a search, police tracked down and arrested the pair on November 10.
During questioning, the duo denied the charges. The woman claimed she “did not understand the payment system,” while the man insisted, “There is no doubt we went to the hotel, but I fully intended to pay.”
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances and motives behind the four-day hotel stay.
