FUKUOKA (TR) — Police here have arrested a 27-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of kidnapping a minor after he was caught driving around with a missing 7-year-old girl, reports NHK (May 5).
Tsubasa Hatase, a resident of Fujicho in Saga City, is accused of abducting the young girl and taking her on a drive through Kurume City on Tuesday. Upon his arrest, Hatase admitted to the allegations, according to police.
On Monday evening, the girl’s frantic mother contacted authorities to report her missing, prompting a desperate overnight search.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. the following day, patrol officers spotted a suspicious vehicle driving through Kurume with a young girl matching the missing child’s description inside. Officers intercepted the car and apprehended Hatase on the spot.
The girl was safely recovered without any injuries.
Police are currently investigating the full circumstances that led to the abduction, including the suspect’s motives and how he lured the child into his vehicle.
