FUKUOKA (TR) – Police in Omuta City have arrested a 64-year-old man who was chased down and apprehended by a posse of 10 middle school students after he stole a shoulder bag from a bicycle, reports RKB Mainichi Broadcasting (Sep. 24).
At around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a middle school student playing in a park in Takarasaka-machi noticed a suspicious man approaching a friend’s parked bicycle. The man snatched a shoulder bag left on the saddle, which contained 3,214 yen in cash, and attempted to make his getaway on a bicycle.
Spotting the theft, the student quickly rallied his friends. A group of 10 teens hopped onto their own bicycles and pursued the fleeing suspect.
During the chase, one of the students shouted, “Stop! What are you running away for?!”
Realizing he was outnumbered and unable to escape, the suspect gave up. He dismounted his bicycle and was apprehended by the youths on the spot.
Police later formally arrested the suspect, a self-proclaimed part-time worker residing in Omuta City, on suspicion of theft.
Upon interrogation, the man admitted to the allegations. “I had very little money on me and was struggling to make a living,” he told police.
