KANAGAWA (TR) – A 43-year-old man convicted of theft and other crimes fled from prosecutors at a residence in the town of Aikawa on Wednesday. He remains at large, police said, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (June 19).
At around 1:30 p.m., six persons, including two police officers and four staff members from the Yokohama District Public Prosecutor’s Office, attempted to apprehend Makoto Kobayashi at the residence. However, the convict fled the scene after producing a knife.
Kobayashi was last seen traveling in a black Honda Fit sedan on the Tomei Expressway in the direction of Nagoya. The vehicle was later found abandoned about 7 kilometers from the residence.
Kobayashi stands 171 centimeters tall. At the time of his escape, he was wearing a white cap, white t-shirt and shorts. Later on Wednesday, police released a portrait photograph showing Kobayashi.
Last September, the Odawara branch of the Yokohama District Court handed Kobayashi a three-year, eight-month prison term for theft, inflicting bodily injury and violating the Stimulants Control Law. The defense appealed the ruling. However, the Tokyo High Court upheld the ruling on February 8.
