Two men were indicted Thursday for robbery resulting in death after a 90-year-old woman died in western Tokyo in January in what is suspected to have been part of a string of burglaries seen across the country in recent years.
Rikuto Nagata, 21, and Hiroyuki Nomura, 52, were arrested on suspicion of robbery-murder after Kinuyo Oshio was found dead at her home in Komae on Jan 19 with her hands tied and head bleeding.
Prosecutors also sent a 19-year-old man, a minor under the juvenile law, to a family court on the charge of robbery resulting in death. Police have also arrested Shingo Kato, 24, for his alleged involvement in the case.
The series of break-ins are believed to have been ordered by a person or persons thought to have used the pseudonyms "Luffy" and "Kim" and to be among men recently arrested in Japan after being deported from the Philippines.
According to their indictments, Nagata and Nomura conspired with multiple people, including the 19-year-old and an unknown person, to enter Oshio's home by pretending to be parcel deliverymen.
They allegedly kicked her and beat her multiple times with a crowbar, inflicting on her multiple rib fractures and other injuries, and causing her to die from acute respiratory failure. In the process, they also robbed her of items including three watches, the indictments said.
The police suspect that "Kim" and "Luffy" could be the aliases of one or more of a group involving Yuki Watanabe, 38, and three others who were deported from the Philippines in February. They have so far been arrested on suspicion of theft in connection with earlier scam cases.
At least 50 robberies and thefts believed to be connected to the group have occurred across over a dozen prefectures since 2021. The fatal robbery of Oshio, in particular, struck a nerve among the Japanese public due to such criminal violence being rare in Japan.
© KYODO
13 Comments
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falseflagsteve
Vermin, preying on the weakest members of society for monetary gain.
obladi
90 year old woman, hands tied and head bleeding, and the charge is "robbery resulting in death"?
Why be so lenient on these two ogres?
Lindsay
How is ‘robbery resulting in death’ one charge? Robbery is one charge and murder is another. This violent murder should see them facing the death penalty. Hopefully the cops will round up the rest of the gang as well.
Mark
Robbing someone is one thing, but robbing and Killing a defenseless 90 yo women is and act of an EVIL, I hope the courts will hand them Maximum penalty on books.
dbsaiya
Why is 19 a juvenile when the LDP can let you vote at 18? To be 18 and to vote is part of becoming an adult, so be it for crimes.
Hercolobus
Savages
Hakman
Kinuyo Oshio's life was sacred and had value -- the highest value possible in this world, in fact.
These two guys, at least allegedly, took her life while in the process of committing another crime against her.
Thus, their punishment should be commensurate with the sanctity and value of her life -- the life they chose to take.
And precisely because I believe strongly in the sanctity and value of human life, I support the death penalty for those who commit pre-meditated and/or aggravated homicide.
it's not about vengeance or bloodlust. It's about true justice.
Speed
They should execute the whole lot.
nosuke
Sounds like the old I’d being targeted since the Ukraine inflation in Japan. People are desperate for money as the gas, food, electricity prices hikes are becoming unbearable
nosuke
No reason to rob and murder anyone hard earned money. What is really happening?
tjguy
It's obvious these men have no respect for life, for the law, and no compassion whatsoever for others. They have no fear of God, no morals, and no fear/respect for life or for the law. With beliefs like that, they would most certainly strike again, so I think they are actually very dangerous.
Martimurano
This toxic pair should be locked-up for life with no parole - they, and the rest of the gang, should be excised from society like a cancer, they will not be missed, and the rest of the community will be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
CaptDingleheimer
I hope the cops tune those guys up good back at the station.