KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 27-year-old man who is suspected of repeatedly carrying out bag-snatching incidents by scooter, reports Nippon News Network (Feb. 13).
In December, Yosuke Hitomi, of no known occupation, allegedly used the scooter to come up from behind a woman, 56, pedaling a bicycle on a road in Kamakura City and snatch her bag containing about 15,000 yen in cash.
The arrest is the second for Hitomi. Last month, police first accused him of stealing a saxophone from a male musician on a road in Chigasaki City.
“I thought about a way to earn money easily,” the suspect was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations. “That turned out to be snatching purses.” In announcing the arrests, the Chigasaki Police Station displayed the suspect’s jacket, scooter and stolen bags.
Police are now investigating whether the suspect was behind a rash of similar thefts that took place in the Shonan area in November and December.
