KANAGAWA (TR) – Police have arrested a 50-year-old female public servant employed by the Fujisawa City government for allegedly shoplifting frozen food and assaulting a convenience store manager who tried to apprehend her, reports Fuji News Network (May 19).
Kuniyo Obuchi is accused of entering a convenience store in Kawasaki City at around 6:30 a.m. on May 15, slipping a package of frozen yakitori into her bag, and leaving the premises without paying.
The store manager, who witnessed the theft on a security monitor, immediately called out to Obuchi. As she attempted to flee, the manager gave chase. A scuffle ensued in which Obuchi allegedly pushed the manager to the ground and violently scratched them, resulting in injuries.
Upon her arrest by the Kawasaki Police Station, Obuchi admitted to the allegations. “There is no mistake that I shoplifted and injured the clerk who came to catch me,” she told investigators.
Police suspect this was not an isolated incident. A search of Obuchi’s bag revealed several other food items, including flavored boiled eggs and japchae, prompting authorities to investigate her for additional crimes.
