KYOTO (TR) – Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 46-year-old woman after she allegedly served an acquaintance a muffin laced with a highly toxic chemical, reports TV Asahi (Aug. 24).
Kana Fujiki, a dispatch worker residing in Higashiomi City, is accused of lacing a baked treat with acrylamide and passing it to a 30-year-old man through a mutual acquaintance last month, instructing them to “give it to him as a souvenir.”
Upon taking a single bite of the muffin inside his car, the victim suffered a loss of consciousness and was rushed to a hospital by ambulance. He spent two weeks hospitalized and is still currently undergoing medical treatment for his symptoms.
The incident came to light after the victim’s family contacted police, reporting that “there is a possibility poison was put into the muffin he received.”
Acrylamide is designated as a deleterious substance. Typically used as a raw material in chemical products such as hair styling agents, the ingestion of the chemical in large amounts can cause severe nerve damage.
Investigators believe Fujiki may have obtained the chemical from her workplace, as she was dispatched to a chemical-related company.
Upon her arrest on suspicion of attempted murder, Fujiki partially denied the allegations. “I admit that I tried to make him eat a muffin containing acrylamide, but I did not intend to kill him,” she told police.
According to neighbors, Fujiki lived with her mother but was largely isolated, with one local noting that she had “no interactions with the neighborhood.”
Police are continuing to investigate the motive behind the poisoning and how the toxic substance was obtained.
