crime

18-year-old youth held for purse-snatching

20 Comments

Police said Wednesday they have arrested an 18-year-old youth for stealing a purse from a 68-year-old woman in Yokohama.

According to police, the incident occurred at about 12:45 on Tuesday afternoon in Izumi Ward. The woman was walking home from the bank and had about 140,000 yen in her purse, TV Asahi reported. The suspect approached her on a bike from behind and grabbed the purse, police said. He was apprehended about 40 minutes later, TV Asahi reported.

Police said there have been four cases of purse snatching reported in the area recently and they are questioning the youth about his involvement in those cases.

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20 Comments
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The maturity level of 18 year old Japanese is far lower than many western countries on so many levels.

Unlike the Brits, they don't binge drink until they can't stand up anymore, or vomit everywhere. Or don't start group fights because they are bored.

It's a cultural thing.

And clearly on a much higher maturity level, right?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

It's a cultural thing.

Your extreme bias is a cultural thing. 13 is old enough to know better than to snatch purses pretty much anywhere in the world unless he has mental problems. 18 is a shoe-in. I hope they try him as an adult. But if they find him mental and give him special treatment for that, I won't complain.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

How did they manage to catch him 40 minutes later? Seems like if somebody didn't grab him at the scene, then he got away. Was there a 40 minute chase?I don't get it.

@Jessebaybay

Age of adulthood is a legal distinction that varies from country to country.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'm glad the woman is ok, she could have been seriously injured. This 18, 19 thing is annoying. 19 you can you can be a police officer but does it make sense that a minor can be a police officer. I dont know if you can be one at 18, but my point is if a minor has enough sense to enforce the law, they should have enough sense to obey it. He is not a minor, throw the bum in jail or Japan needs to adopt a true community service.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Zen, I doubt anyone snatching purses at 18 had a bright future.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

cowardly little punk!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

18-year-old youth

A little redundant. If he's 18, we know he's a youth.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

" jessebaybay at Mar. 22, 2012 - 08:21AM JST im sorry but 18 is not a youth in my opinion.. when will japan realise this fact?"

Sorry. But I have to disagree with this statement. The maturity level of 18 year old Japanese is far lower than many western countries on so many levels. This is not to say that this particular youth didn't know right from wrong. Just as a whole, 18 in Japan is probably equivalent to15 or 16 in the west. It's a cultural thing.

S

0 ( +5 / -5 )

@Spidey

"I was referring to maturity not stupidity."

It's the same thing. Mature people are normally not that stupid, mature people certainly know not to drink to the point where they can't control themselves.

Maybe you should be mature enough not to generalize one incident into the whole country vs western countries.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Back on topic please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They have been getting alot of this happening all over japan lately. At least there is now one less.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

We have had a few of these knuckleheads down here in Okinawa doing the same thing. Thats why I have told my wife to be sure when she is walking on any street, be aware of your surrondings and walk with your purse between her and the buildings, not between her and the street. Gotta be careful these days, especially the elderly who these guys look at as easy targets.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

foolish youngster threw away a bright future

0 ( +0 / -0 )

luckily he's a minor and will roam the streets again soon

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dennis Bauer:

"Lucky" for him, not for the old ladies out there. That little rat will be at it again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's time for Japan to lower it's age of responsibility to 18 like most of the world. Japan is no longer the innocent country hidden from the world of corruption and youth violence.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm glad to hear that they caught him. Any word on who caught him and how? Was it a private citizen or was he caught by the police?

I'm seen one purse snatching myself and it happened so fast that none of us realized what it was to after the fact that the two punks (on a scooter) were way down the street. Furious!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think the maturity level is lower because it is allowed to be lower. Treat them more as adults and perhaps they would behave as such.

What on earth is granny doing with that much cash on here in this day and age?! Furikomi your rent, bills... Or pay online or by card. 68 isn't too old not to get with the times on this!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

im sorry but 18 is not a youth in my opinion.. when will japan realise this fact?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

"Unlike the Brits, they don't binge drink until they can't stand up anymore, or vomit everywhere. Or don't start group fights because they are bored."

I was referring to maturity not stupidity.

S

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

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