OSAKA (TR) – Police have solidified their intention to arrest a 47-year-old man in connection with the fatal stabbing of his elderly neighbor in Osaka City earlier this year, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (June 15).
On March 18, Yuji Hashimoto, 85, was found dead inside his unit in an apartment building in Higashiyodogawa Ward. An examination of the body revealed a deep stab wound that had pierced his heart, prompting police to immediately launch a murder investigation.
According to investigative sources, police have now linked the crime to Tsutomu Shimotaki, who lived in the same apartment building as Hashimoto.
Shimotaki was arrested and indicted in May on suspicion of attempted theft for trying to withdraw cash from an ATM using Hashimoto’s cash card on February 26.
The case is being treated as robbery and murder. Police are currently investigating the precise timeline and circumstances leading up to the deadly attack.
