FUKUSHIMA (TR) – A Korean man destroyed stone statues at a shrine in the village of Izumaki, police said on Sunday, in a possible connection to reports of at least 100 wrecked statues this month.
Police charged Jeong Seung-Ho, 35, with trespassing and four counts of destruction of property at the shrine on Friday night, including breaking off the heads of two stone fox statues at the shrine and wrecking a wooden fox statue, Sankei Sports reports (Dec. 11).
Jeong confessed he broke the statues when officers stopped him on the streets for questioning on Saturday, police said, adding more wrecked stone statues were also reported on Sunday at shrines in Shirakawa City.
Police are investigating whether the latest case is tied to reports of over 100 stone statues that were destroyed since December 4 at locations that included cemeteries.
