TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 22-year-old Keio University student after she allegedly stole a customer’s credit card at a sports facility where she worked in Shibuya Ward.
In April, Karen Niizawa, a senior at the university, allegedly abused her position as a receptionist to access a master key for the facility’s locker room. She is accused of using the key to steal a female customer’s credit card from a locker, which she then used to fraudulently purchase two cosmetic items valued at approximately 14,000 yen.
Upon her arrest on suspicion of theft and fraud, Niizawa initially denied stealing the card, telling investigators, “I picked it up in the locker room.”
However, regarding the unauthorized purchases, she admitted to the allegations, stating, “I wanted the products and used the card on impulse.”
Police suspect this is not an isolated incident. Investigators have confirmed additional damages totaling up to 1 million yen involving other customers at the sports facility, and they are currently probing Shinzawa for further crimes.
Niizawa is a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University and served as a manager for the university’s ski team. Following reports of the incident, it was observed that all articles mentioning her name had been removed from the team’s official blog.
