SAITAMA (TR) – Police in Soka City have arrested two men on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after they allegedly ambushed a pedestrian with an aerosol spray and stole his cash, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 8).
Teruki Tsuburaya, 22, and Masamune Takada, 23, are accused of attacking a 33-year-old man on a street in the early hours of October 1. According to police, the suspects grabbed the victim from behind, sprayed him in the face with an undisclosed substance, and physically assaulted him.
The pair then fled with the victim’s bag, which contained approximately 30,000 yen in cash and bank cards. Investigators believe the suspects immediately used the stolen cards to make purchases shortly after the brutal mugging.
Prior to the incident, Tsuburaya and Takada had been drinking at an establishment near Soka Station. Security camera footage captured the duo prowling the streets and trailing other pedestrians before ultimately targeting the victim.
Police have not disclosed whether the suspects have admitted to the allegations.
Meanwhile, investigators are probing the duo’s potential link to a similar attempted robbery that occurred just an hour and a half earlier in a nearby area. In that case, a two-man group utilized an identical spraying tactic but fled empty-handed after the victim fought back.
