TOKYO (TR) – A 24-year-old woman in custody for allegedly dumping the body of her newborn infant in a closet of her former residence in Toshima Ward last month has also been accused of killing the child, reports Jiji Press (Feb. 8).
According to the Ikebukuro Police Station, Yumi Jitsuhara, a part-time employee, covered the mouth and nose of the child after giving birth in a toilet in December. “I did not have confidence to raise a baby,” the suspect was quoted by police.
On January 20, several male and female residents of the share house where the suspect lived tipped off police about a foul smell coming from the closet.
Officers arriving at the residence found the corpse of the girl wrapped in a towel and inside a plastic bag placed in the closet. Officers later arrested Jitsuhara on suspicion of abandoning a corpse. Prior to the discovery, the suspect had vacated the premises over non-payment of rent.
The suspect became aware that she was pregnant in September, upon which she time she began plotting to kill the child, police said.
