SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 91-year-old woman was discovered in a mountainous area of Hanno City, with a 33-year-old Vietnamese national hinting at his involvement in her death, reports TBS News (Aug. 2).
The victim, identified as Kinuko Maruyama, a resident of neighboring Iruma City, was found dead in the woods of the Azu area at around 9 p.m. on August 1.
The discovery was set in motion the previous day when Maruyama’s son contacted authorities to report his mother missing.
During the investigation, police spotted a light passenger car — which had previously been parked on Maruyama’s property — being driven in Fujimi City. The vehicle subsequently collided with another car waiting at a traffic light.
The driver abandoned the crashed vehicle and fled the scene on foot. He was apprehended shortly after breaking into a nearby private residence and was arrested on the spot on suspicion of trespassing.
During police questioning, the 33-year-old Vietnamese suspect made statements hinting at his involvement in Maruyama’s murder and the dumping of her corpse.
Investigators are currently treating the case as a homicide and are strictly questioning the man to uncover the full circumstances behind the killing.
