crime

81-year-old woman nabbed for stealing customer's wallet in supermarket

20 Comments

Police in Saitama said Monday they have arrested an 81-year-old woman on suspicion of stealing a wallet belonging to a customer in a supermarket.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 11 a.m. Sunday at the supermarket in Urawa Ward. Fuji TV reported that the suspect, Yaiko Beppu, allegedly stole a wallet containing about 1,600 yen in cash from the handbag of a 77-year-old woman who was shopping in the fruit department.

After leaving the store, Beppu was stopped by a police officer on patrol who said he thought she was behaving suspiciously as she hid her left hand with a scarf. The wallet was wrapped in the scarf, police said. When the customer noticed her wallet missing and notified store staff, Beppu admitted stealing it.

Neighboring supermarkets have reported multiple pickpocket cases since December, and police are questioning Beppu on those cases as well.

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20 Comments
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Bla bla bla old woman won't get suspended sentence because they won't even bother to prosecute her, they'll just ask her nicely to stop

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

@sensei258 - what is your recommendation? Lock her up in prison?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Yes I can not wait until I reach my 80,s I be picking up anything that I can carry away and if stop act dumb.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Maybe she don't know what she does

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Would be curious to learn more about her situation. Not justifying it, just interested to learn more about the "whys" behind her actions.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

There must be a lot of careless people around if an 81 year can pick pockets. It's unlikely she is a nimble thief.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I am going to be careful of how I hold my hands when the cops are around.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

@ Maria - are you suggesting we establish a maximum age after which there's no penalty for committing a crime? If I did that I'd be jailed and then deported, but she's old so it's okay?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Im no fan of the police but hat off to him for being so observant.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What a disgrace this woman is. she needs to be locked up! shes probably been doing this her whole life, and just never been caught. end of the line, Beppu. absolute disgrace

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

@sensei258 - Why are you making this about you? It's not about you, and it's not about foreigners. It's about a very old woman.who stole a wallet from another old woman in a supermarket.

Are you recommending they imprison her? was my simple question - you didn't answer it, of course. Too busy going off on some peculiar tangents in your own mind.

Should she be allowed to carry on shoplifting? No.

Should she be imprisoned? No.

What do I think the authorities should do? Charge her, fine her, avoid a drawn out costly case, and find someone to take responsibility for her.

Is there anyone put there who can take responsibility for her? I don't know - the police will have found them by now, if there are any.

Would this poor woman be better off in a residential home, or assisted living, where she can be kept an eye on, but not mistreated? Absolutely, and I wish there were such a place for her and for many other like her. She is obviously not doing very well on her own, and needs help. Prison will not help her.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@ Maria - am I obligated to answer your question? No. But there's really not much they can or will do, other than to try and convince her not to do it again

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

But then, sensei 258, I don't understand.

You take the time to comment about how you disapprove of how you imagine this will play out for her. This means you have thought about it. Surely you must also have thought about what you do think should happen to her.

The idea of a maximum age for prison for petty crime is not a bad one. After all, the elderly in general are deemed unable to drive, or work, or be very useful in society. Chances are good that the faculties of criminal elders are impaired, that they suffer from depression, that they are malnourished (if they live alone)...

At least have separate facilities than 'proper' prison. Like the OAP equivalent of remand homes for minors.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@ Maria at 81 she should definately know better or at least not stoop to stealing another old ladies wallet. absolute disgrace. they should lock her up for at least 2 weeks, just to discourage her. disgraceful

-10 ( +0 / -10 )

I can't even.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

You take the time to comment about how you disapprove of how you imagine this will play out for her. This means you have thought about it. Surely you must also have thought about what you do think should happen to her.

Not at all, I'm just pissed that the old fart will get away with it.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Prison is to help the rest of society. Crime should not have an age limit for redress.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Prison would be expense of taxpayers, instead they should just use the sharia law

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

exactly right. if not actually locking her up, just a threat. like tell her shes to be locked up for good, but then just let her off. scare her so she never thinks of stealing again. she cant use the old and confused card to get out of punishment. disgraceful.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Cry, apologize, end of story. That's the way it goes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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