KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a former professional baseball player for allegedly attempting to commit indecent acts on two women in Yokohama City earlier this year.
This marks his eighth arrest of Hayato Mishima, 43, who played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks under the name “Hayato Doue.” It is believed that more than 10 women have been victims to date, reports Nippon News Network (Dec. 9).
According to investigators, Mishima is suspected of attempting to commit indecent acts on a 20-year-old woman on a night of April and on a 22-year-old woman on a night the following month on the streets of the city.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of attempted indecent assault without consent, Mishima denied the allegations, police said.
At the time of the incident, the 20-year-old woman was riding her bicycle. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old was walking. Neither victim was acquainted with the suspect.
Mishima’s involvement was revealed through examinations of security camera footage taken from the crime scenes.
Eighth arrest
In June, police arrested Mishima on suspicion of indecent assault without consent. He was indicted the following month.
Since then, police have arrested and re-arrested him on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse and indecent assault without consent.
The latest arrest is his eighth, with the the number of victims reaching eleven for this year alone. The victims are aged in their teens and twenties.
Most of the incidents for which Mishima was arrested occurred at night. Police believe that Mishima has repeatedly committed crimes outdoors, such as on the streets of Yokohama, targeting women walking or cycling alone. The investigation is ongoing.
Previous prison sentence
In 2009, Mishima joined SoftBank as a developmental draft pick. At the time, the catcher used the surname Doue.
Three years later, he arrested and indicted on charges of indecent assault while he was still an active player. In the case, he lured a teenage girl into a parking lot, threatened her and engaging in lewd acts with her. He was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison.
