Man Put on Wanted List over Robbery-Murder in Japan’s Tochigi

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 29 (Jiji Press)–Police on Friday placed on a public wanted list a 48-year-old man who allegedly orchestrated a fatal home-invasion robbery in the eastern Japan prefecture of Tochigi and fled the country after the crime. The Tochigi prefectural police department on Tuesday obtained an arrest warrant for the man, Kazuhiko Masuda, over the killing of Eiko Tomiyama, 69, at her home in the town of Kaminokawa on May 14. He faces allegations of robbery-murder. Masuda left Japan for China from Narita International Airport near Tokyo on May 17. The police believe that he later moved to a Southeast Asian country and is hiding there. The prefectural police will ask the Foreign Ministry through the National Police Agency to issue an order requiring Masuda to surrender his passport, while planning to find out his whereabouts through international arrangements and seek cooperation from foreign investigative authorities concerned. According to the prefectural police, Masuda allegedly conspired with Kaito Takemae, 28, and his wife, Miyu, 25, along with four 16-year-old high school boys, breaking into Tomiyama’s home for robbery and killing her. Masuda’s alleged involvement came to be known as investigators analyzed a smartphone of Takemae, who was arrested at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in the small hours of May 17. Miyu was also arrested the same day. The police said Masuda and Takemae have known each other, and that Masuda used a highly anonymous app to issue instructions for robbery. He also allegedly handed to Takemae crowbars purchased at a hardware store in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, before the attack and other items. Takemae is believed to have recruited the teenage assailants and coordinated operations under Masuda’s direction. On the day of the attack, Takemae and the four boys gathered at an expressway service area. Takemae then gave the teenagers the weapons and other tools, and instructed them to rob Tomiyama’s home. During the crime, Takemae continued giving the boys instructions in real-time through a communication app while staying away from the scene. More than 20 stab wounds were on the body of Tomiyama, while her two sons sustained serious injuries. The family’s dog was also killed. The four boys were arrested by May 16. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]