TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have re-arrested a 53-year-old man accused of stalking a woman home from a night out and burglarizing her apartment while she slept, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 13).
Hiroyuki Abe, whose occupation is currently unknown, allegedly followed a woman in her 20s to her apartment complex in Minato Ward on the morning of September 1. Utilizing a “tailgating” technique, the man slipped through the building’s security gate behind the woman as she entered.
According to the Tokyo police, the suspect then entered the victim’s unlocked apartment while she was sleeping off a night of heavy drinking. He is accused of stealing approximately 8,000 yen in cash, along with 20 personal items—including handbags and luxury watches—with a total estimated value of 3 million yen.
The suspect has partially denied the charges, bizarrely claiming that he was “caring for the intoxicated woman” when she “gave him the bags and other items.”
The man was initially arrested on October 15 for the theft of a moped in Tokyo, a charge for which he has already been indicted. Investigators now suspect he was using the stolen moped to prowl the streets in search of intoxicated victims.
The suspect was re-arrested on November 10 in connection with the Minato Ward burglary. Police are continuing to investigate the extent of his criminal activities.
