OITA (TR) – Police here have released a new wanted poster featuring previously unseen photographs of 29-year-old fugitive Yoichi Hatta, who is wanted on suspicion of murder following a deadly hit-and-run that claimed the life of a university student in Beppu City, reports NHK (June 29).
On June 29, 2022, Hatta allegedly rammed his vehicle into two university students at an intersection in Beppu before fleeing the scene. One student died in the attack.
To mark the anniversary of the fatal crash, Oita Prefectural Police launched a renewed nationwide appeal on Monday, distributing newly created flyers featuring three unreleased images of Hatta.
The photos include a full-body shot taken in 2018, an image of Hatta wearing sunglasses from 2019, and a photo of him sporting blonde hair in 2020. Police also released fresh security camera footage captured near the crime scene just moments before the deadly collision.
At JR Beppu Station, members of a support group for the victim’s bereaved family joined police officers to hand out the new flyers to commuters.
“We will absolutely not let the suspect escape,” said Takahisa Hashimoto, head of the criminal affairs division at the Beppu Police Station. “We are devoting all our resources to tracking him down, and we urge anyone with information to come forward without hesitation.”
The manhunt has generated massive public interest. According to police, a staggering 13,069 tips have been received since the incident occurred.
Sightings of individuals resembling Hatta have been heavily concentrated in the Kanto region, which accounts for 4,620 of the total reports. In June alone, investigators received 198 new tips, with the majority coming from Kanto, followed by the Kinki and Kyushu regions.
Anyone with information regarding Yoichi Hatta’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Beppu Police Station at 0977-21-2131.
