TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 60-year-old man for allegedly scaling the exterior of an apartment building to steal cash from multiple units.
During the investigation, police found a bizarre web search history on the phone of Shuji Kuroi that inquired about the “paratrooper mortality rate,” reports TBS News (July 30).
Kuroi, a Kita Ward resident of unknown occupation, is accused of breaking into two apartments on the fourth and fifth floors of a building in Nerima Ward’s Shimoshakujii area this past April.
According to police, Kuroi shattered window glass to gain entry via the balconies, making off with a backpack and an envelope containing 24,000 yen in cash.
The physical feat required to pull off the heist was significant. The fourth-floor balcony sits 12 meters above ground, while the fifth floor reaches a height of 15 meters. Investigators believe Kuroi climbed the building’s emergency staircase before dangerously traversing the exterior wall to access the victims’ balconies.
Upon his arrest, Kuroi denied the allegations, telling investigators, “I do not remember, and I have no memory of it.”
However, police analyzing the suspect’s smartphone discovered a highly unusual query in his search history: “paratrooper mortality rate.”
Investigators are currently looking into the connection between the morbid search term and his high-altitude burglaries.
