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Saitama: Attempted robbery suspect accused in 2nd case

SAITAMA (TR) – A 37-year-old man in custody over the attempted robbery of a supermarket in Saitama City last month has been accused in another case that took place earlier in the year, police said on Tuesday, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Dec. 11).

At around 1:50 p.m. on September 29, Shinichi Yoshida, of no known occupation, entered an outlet of convenience store chain MiniStop in Kawaguchi City and held a knife up to a 53-year-old female cashier.

“Hand over the money, and be quick about it,” he reportedly threatened before fleeing the scene with 280,000 yen in cash, according to police.

Yoshida, who has been accused of robbery admits to the allegations, police said.

in Kawaguchi City
A 37-year-old man used a knife to rob an outlet of MiniStop in Kawaguchi City on September 29 (Twitter)

The arrest is at least the second for Yoshida, who lives in Kawaguchi. At around 4:25 a.m. on November 16, the suspect entered a supermarket in Saitama City and held a knife up to an employee. However, he fled the scene empty-handed.

Based on security camera footage, Yoshida emerged as a person of interest for police in the supermarket case. At around 6:45 p.m. on November 17, two officers took him in for questioning near his residence. However, he brandished a knife.

In spite of being warned by the officers that they would shoot, Yoshida fled the scene. The officers apprehended him around 250 meters away about 15 minutes later. During his time on the run, the suspect threatened a female pedestrian with the knife.

During questioning, Yoshida has admitted involvement in several other robberies or attempted robberies that took place between September and November.