TOKYO (TR) – Prosecutors have announced the non-prosecution of a male employee at a sushi shop over the alleged attempted robbery of a convenience store in Shibuya Ward nine years ago, reports TBS News (May 11).
At around 2:55 a.m. on January 13, 2011, Rikito Tengan, a part-time employee, allegedly entered an outlet of Lawson in the Nanpeidaicho area while wielding a knife. “Hand over the money,” he reportedly said to a 34-year-old male clerk.
After the clerk refused to comply, Tengan fled the scene empty-handed.
“I wanted money for playing around and dining out,” Tengan was quoted by the Shibuya Police Station upon his arrest last month.
On Monday, prosecutors with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that Tengan was not prosecuted on May 7. No reason for the non-prosecution was given.
Last year, Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested Tengan as a part of a molestation case. During that investigation, police connected him to the attempted robbery via a DNA analysis of evidence on the knife, which was found dropped near the store.
The statute of limitations for prosecution in the case were set to expire in January of next year.