OSAKA (TR) – Former officers with Osaka Prefectural Police are offering a reward for the capture of a suspect accused of rape who has been on the run since he escaped custody from a police station last month, reports TV Asahi (Sept. 12).
The retired officers have pooled together a total of 2 million yen as a reward for information that leads to the apprehension of Junya Hida, 30, who bolted from the Tondabayashi Police Station after a meeting with a lawyer on August 12.
In making his escape from the police station, Hida destroyed the acrylic plate that served as a partition between him and the lawyer he was meeting with at some point after their discussion ended at around 8:00 p.m. He is believed to have scaled a wall before stealing a red bicycle, which he pedaled north.
Since May 25, Hida has been accused of four crimes. In July, police arrested him for theft and the rape of a woman, aged in her 20s, in her residence in Osaka Prefecture.
Hida, with a medium build and dark hair, stands about 163 centimeters tall, police said previously. Police have established life-size posters of the fugitive at 20 locations in Osaka Prefecture.
Persons with information on the case are advised to call the toll-free number 0120-224-110 or investigative headquarters at 0721-25-1234.
