TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 24-year-old man over the alleged robbery of a taxi driver in Taito Ward, reports TBS News (Jan. 23).
At around 4:30 a.m. on December 1, Takemi Asato, of no known occupation, declined to pay the driver upon arrival at his destination on a road in the Ueno area. “Your driving was too rough,” the suspect reportedly said before punching the driver in the face.
Asato then fled the scene without paying the fare of 6,250 yen. The driver suffered injuries that required three weeks to heal, according to police.
Asato, who was drunk at the time of the incident, denies the allegations. “I have no memory [of the matter,” the suspect was quoted by police.
Asato surfaced as a person of interest for police after an examination of security camera footage showed him at his residence, which is near where the crime took place.