TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two men for ordering an attempted robbery of a woman at her residence in Shinjuku Ward earlier this year, reports TBS News (July 9).
On April 12, three perpetrators tied the arms and legs of the woman, then 61, with adhesive tape at the residence, located in the Hyakunincho area, and began ransacking the interior. After the men fled empty-handed, the woman freed herself, police said.
Later that month, police arrested Yuta Tsuchiya and Kiyonori Kohara, both 23-year-old residents of Shizuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of attempted robbery. Police also arrested the third alleged perpetrator. All three suspects have been sent to prosecutors.
In the latest development, police have accused Shinobu Ishikawa, 46, and Yoshiaki Haruki, 51, of ordering Tsuchiya, Kohara and the third suspect to carry out the crime. Ishikawa and Haruki deny the allegations, telling police they do had nothing to do with the incident.
Ishikawa and Haruki surfaced as persons of interest after they were seen security camera footage taken near the crime scene three days before the incident, police said.
On April 19, male intruders bound and robbed a 60-year-old man of 4 million yen in cash at his residence in Musashimurayama City. Police believe that Ishikawa and Haruki were also behind that incident.
