PHILIPPINES (TR) – Police in Manila launched a murder case after a Japanese woman was found dead in her residence, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Aug. 3).
At around 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Reiko Maezawa, 82, was found collapsed on the floor of her residence, located in the city of Cabuyao in the province of Laguna, by a neighbor. She was later confirmed dead.
According to police, Maezawa’s limbs were bound with cloth and her mouth gagged with a towel.
With cash, Maezawa’s mobile telephone and jewelry missing from the premises, police suspect that she was the victim of a robbery.
An examination of the residence showed that an intruder may have gained access by damaging part of the ceiling.
Maezawa is a native of Chiba Prefecture. According to a neighbor, she came to the Philippines about 15 years ago. After her husband passed away, she lived in the residence alone.
