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Fukuoka murder suspect ‘wanted money’

FUKUOKA (TR) – Fukuoka Prefectural Police arrested a 34-year-old man over the alleged murder a female employee of a bicycle shop in Fukuoka City earlier this month, reports TBS News (Mar 19).

On the night of March 4, Tatsuya Sasaki is alleged to have strangled Hiroko Komori, 42, inside Thothcycle Store, located in the Sumiyoshi area of Hakata Ward.

The suspect also allegedly took a total of 100,000 yen from a safe and register, police said.

Sasaki is a resident of Osaka City’s Sumiyoshi Ward. Upon his arrest on suspicion of murder on Wednesday, he admitted the allegations. “I wanted money,” the suspect was quoted.

Tatsuya Sasaki (Twitter)

Lights were out

At around 8:50 p.m. on the day of the incident, two male and female acquaintances were passing by the store when they noticed that the lights were out despite it being during business hours.

They then went inside and found Komori collapsed in the store with an injury to the neck. She was later confirmed dead at the scene, police said previously.

The results of an autopsy revealed that the victim suffered broken bones in her neck, police said.

Sasaki surfaced as a person of interest following an examination of security camera footage. Police first apprehended the suspect in Osaka Prefecture. He was then transferred to Fukuoka.