OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a 27-year-old man over the alleged robbery of an elderly woman in Osaka City earlier this year, reports NHK (Mar. 22).
In January, Takahiro Funamoto, of no known occupation, allegedly broke into the residence of the woman, 73, in Higashiyodogawa Ward and thrust a knife before her.
After snatching 4,000 yen in cash and her mobile telephone, he fled the scene.
“I was broke due to debts owed to relatives,” Funamoto told police in admitting to the allegations.
Funamoto had already been prosecuted for other thefts in Osaka City and Tokyo. One of those cases took place about 90 minutes after the incident in Higashiyodogawa. In that case, he allegedly stole a bag from a drunk man on a street about 3 kilometers from the elderly woman’s residence.
“It all happened so fast”
Based on security camera footage, Funamoto became a person of interest for police in the Higashiyodogawa case.
“That night,” the elderly woman said, “I was watching television and heard a noise. I thought it was my cat, but then I saw a man holding a knife.”
He then took the cash from a bag of hers.
“It all happened so fast, and I was so scared,” she said. “After the incident, I closed the front door and made sure it was locked.”
