HOKKAIDO — Police here have arrested a 43-year-old man from Aichi Prefecture for allegedly stealing the shoe insoles of a teenage girl at a campsite in Hakodate City, reports TBS News (May 5).
Between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday night, the unnamed suspect, a company employee residing in Okazaki City, Aichi, is accused of stealing two shoe insoles from the tent at the campsite.
The insoles are valued at a mere 100 yen, police said.
Upon questioning, the suspect flatly denied the allegations. “I didn’t enter the tent, and I didn’t steal the insoles,” he told investigators.
According to police, the bizarre incident came to light when a companion of the victim frantically called emergency services to report, “A man has come into our tent.”
Officers rushing to the Hakodate campsite tracked down the suspect on the premises. A subsequent search of his personal belongings uncovered the teenage girl’s missing insoles. After corroborating the evidence, police officially took the man into custody on Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of theft.
At the time of the incident, the victim, who is in her late teens, was enjoying a camping trip with friends. The suspect was also camping at the same facility, though it remains unclear if he was traveling alone or with a group.
Police are currently investigating a motive for the bizarre theft and are looking into the possibility of further related crimes.
