SHIZUOKA (TR) – A 27-year-old man who had been sought over the fatal stabbing of three family members at their residence on Sunday has been taken in custody, police have revealed.
On Tuesday night, police in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture apprehended Koichi Katayama, a former Self-Defense Force member, at a love hotel, reports TBS News (July 30).
Katayama had suffered self-inflicted stab wounds to his abdomen. His condtion is not considered life-threatening, police said.
“I did it,” he reportedly told police upon his apprehension in admitting to the crime.
Fled by Shinkansen
At around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, 87-year-old Shoichi Shibuya, his wife Ikuko, 81, and their second daughter Rumiko, 52, were found collapsed and bleeding near a bathroom at the residence, located in Kikugawa City. All three were later confirmed dead at a hospital.
Based on the subsequent investigation, police placed Katayama on a nationwide wanted list. Katayama is believed to have fled Shizuoka Prefecture on a Shinkansen train.
Katayama has been hospitalized in a hospital in Tottori, located about 350 kilometers from the scene of the crime, for treatment of his abdominal injuries. Police plan to wait until he has recovered before arresting him.
