KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police on Saturday arrested a 47-year-old man staying at a flophouse in Yokohama City over the alleged fatal assault of a fellow male lodger, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 25).
At around 7:30 a.m., a call was made to 110 from the cheap-lodging facility in Naka Ward. The caller reported that a male guest had collapsed in the hallway and was bleeding from his head.
When police arrived, they found Masashi Takada, 49, collapsed in the hallway. He was taken to hospital, but was later confirmed dead.
Police subsequently arrested Masamichi Hosogoe, a self-proclaimed part-time worker, for assaulting and injuring Takada by punching and kicking him.
At the time of the incident, Hosogoe had been drinking. He is believed to have assaulted Takaka between around 12:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of assault resulting in injury, the suspect told the Isezaki Police Station, “There is no doubt that I assaulted him.”
Hosogoe also said that Takada was vomiting before the assault.
Police are investigating the circumstances that led to the incident and seeking a motive for the crime, including whether there was any trouble between the two.