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Police in Tokyo said Thursday they have arrested a 59-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of stealing approximately 50.2 million yen in cash from a residence in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, while the occupant was away.
Police said Hitoshi Tozawa, who lives in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward, has denied the charge and claims to know nothing about the incident.
Tozawa is accused of breaking into the home of an 81-year-old woman between 10 and 11:30 a.m. on May 16. Police allege he made off with roughly 50.2 million yen in cash and one bag. The woman was out at the time.
Police said Tozawa managed to break a glass window beside the front door on the first floor of the two-story home. He then reached in and grabbed the front door key on a table and let himself in. He took the cash stored inside a closet on the first floor and stole the bag to place the money in.
A surveillance camera installed near the victim’s home showed Tozawa carrying the bag as he left the scene. The stolen cash and bag, however, have yet to be found, police said.
© Japan Today
11 Comments
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Belrick
50 million, in cash! What was she thinking to keep that much money in the house!? Some people never learn!
Vince Black
Another example of the stubbornness of the elderly here. So stuck in their ways for their own good.
MarkX
So how does a guy who lives in Tokyo's Adachi ward, know that some elderly lady living in Utsunomiya Tochigi has more than 50 million yen in her closet? Lucky guess? There is more to this story, but I doubt we will ever hear it.
Also, many of these "ore ore sagi" or "it's me, it's me", I also feel are inside jobs. Someone is feeding information to these groups about who has money and who is an easy mark.
Wesley
Because of recent cyber thefts, the elderly don't trust electronic money/ payment methods. They feel having cash is safer. The recent 7-11 mobile hack case is one such case. You can't even buy groceries / basic necessities without the worry of having your money stolen electronically.
Disillusioned
So, this old lady had half a million bucks in cash just sitting in a wardrobe? You have to be pooping me! It doesn't say much for the security of Japanese banks, does it? Perhaps she should have spent a thousand bucks and bought a safe for her wardrobe. That's just waiting to get ripped off. Idiot!
Yubaru
Bullshite, the elderly have almost no idea about cyber threats! And it's not just the elderly, but people of all ages here, who keep cash in their homes!
How convenient, use something that happened in the past few days to justify your weird justification of a comment with a crime that happened back in May!
Yubaru
Ahh, this is the truth! This poster is afraid for themselves and blames his his fears on the little old lady
kurisupisu
Might have been a wise investment to have bought a heavy safe for that wad!
Monozuki
Very clever trick. The suspect may have known that the 81-year-old woman surely had big money in her house. Good thing the police have arrested the culprit anyway.
seif
I wonder if there's any proof that the stolen amount is indeed ¥50 million. I mean do the police just take her word for it? If she tells them he took off with ¥100 million then will they be looking for ¥100 million?