A man committed suicide in front of emergency services while his girlfriend lay dead in their apartment, police said Tuesday.
Emergency services were called to a ninth floor apartment in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, at around 3 a.m. Monday after neighbors reported smelling gas, NTV reported. Firefighters entered the apartment and found the body of a 34-year-old Chinese woman lying face up in bed. Marks on the woman's neck were consistent with death by strangulation, police said later.
Emergency workers located a portable cooking stove that was leaking gas in the living room. They then looked at the balcony and found the woman's boyfriend, a 44-year-old Japanese man, holding on to the handrail, suspended outside the balcony. As firefighters approached, the man let go and fell five stories to a roof on the fourth floor. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe the man took his girlfriend's life before committing suicide. An investigation into the motive behind the incident is ongoing.
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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Get Real
What is is with Saitama?
Chin4Sailor
Well did you rush the woman to the hospital too...? Or did you just assume she was dead...?
It doesn't matter what the JCops say, when you are determining cause of death, it should come from a Medical Doctor, not some guy, who two years earlier was checking Bicycle registrations.
It's a shame for that poor woman - RIP...
As for the murderer, at least he had the Good Sense to take his own life, and not become a burden on society.
nath
Saitama, oh Saitama. Why such a centre of helplessness and despair? And what prompts someone to kill a loved one (or ones) and then yourself?
TheDevilsAssistant
I really doubt that he took her life before committing suicide.
TheDevilsAssistant
I meant AFTER committing suicide. :)
bgaudry
Da Saitama!
BurakuminDes
Rest in peace to the poor woman - and rot in hell to this cowardly woman-abuser. I used to defend Saitama as some relatives previously lived there, and it seemed (relatively) ok when I visited. Now Im starting to think it is one of the worlds most awful ghettos. Nothing good ever happens in Saitama it seems , just misery.
Thunderbird2
RIP poor woman... but again Saitama?
BurakuminDes
@ strangerland - I'm sorry if you live in Saitama, didnt mean to offend. I'm sure there are upper-class areas there too.
SauloJpn
Sounds like one more horrible result of domestic violence! as long as authorities refuse to intervene, we will see cases like this just as often or worse than we see now!!
cleo
Was it suicide, or was he just stupid enough to think he could escape by dropping off the balcony?
The Chronic
Saitama seems to get the brunt of all the crazies??
Tiger_In_The_Hermitage
Murder / Suicide, no sh1t, captain obvious...... one can't strangle oneself to death.
nath
What an absolute piece of detritus.
Mirai Hayashi
coward!
Crazedinjapan
Good Job ! He just saved the tax payers some coin.
billyshears
He was probably hiding!
Ali Khan
unfortunate couple and sad tragedy , why such tragedies happen again and again, the society, the politicians and the Government should think deeply how to create peace and harmony in the society.
Patrick Hagger
Justice at his own hands, saving the citizens of Japan the expenses of clothing, feeding and sheltering him until his life expriers
gaihonjin
Aim for the bushes!
Crazedinjapan
@patrick well said ! My sentiments exactly, what confuses me are the people who have us thumbs down. Dude deserves the death penalty for taking her life. He saved tax payers all fees included at court, police work , time on death row ... He was obviously guilty and only jumped to avoid being apprehended ..think of all the man hours he saved everyone. For his girlfriend ...justice had been served !
Jason Santana
How selfish!!! That's all I have to say. If your life is so sad you shouldn't take another person with you.
sincerely999
Keeping your courage for living today is more worthful than choosing death. Keeping your mind at any time for yourself and your precious others. It was difficult for him. Why? so sad.