crime

Suspect who used toy gun to rob 3 convenience stores arrested

7 Comments

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of robbing three convenience stores on Sept 8 while brandishing a realistic-looking toy gun.

According to police, Masahiro Hijikata, a resident of Tokyo's Suginami Ward and of no fixed employment, was arrested early Tuesday morning in front of one of the convenience stores he allegedly robbed, Fuji TV reported. Police said Hijikata was intoxicated and in possession of an imitation Walther P38 gun at the time of his arrest.

Police suspect that Hijikata, wearing a black business suit and sunglasses, entered a FamilyMart store at around 4 a.m. and threatened the clerk with the gun, telling him it was a Walther P38. He demanded the clerk empty the cash register. He took 100,000 yen and fled on a bicycle.

About five minutes earlier, the same man robbed another convenience store about 200 meters away. He is also believed to have robbed a convenience store in Nishi-Shinjuku at around 12:30 a.m. Surveillance camera footage showed the suspect using the same gun-like object in those robberies, too.

Nobody was hurt in the three robberies.

The gun used by the suspect appears in the popular Japanese anime series “Lupin the Third.”

Police said Hijikata resembles the man seen on store surveillance camera footage. However, Hijikata has denied the allegations. He was quoted by police as saying “I was carrying the gun because I personally like ‘Lupin III.’”

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7 Comments
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WilliB: Police suspect that Hijikata, wearing a black business suit and sunglasses,

So close...you must be psychic!

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Derek Grebe:

(snip), entered a FamilyMart store at around 4 a.m."

That was when he committed the robbery, not when he was arrested. You must be a true prodegy at reading comprehenseion...

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Got Ya !!!

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Inevitable.

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He was quoted by police as saying “I was carrying the gun because I personally like ‘Lupin III.’”

Really? Seriously?

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Masahiro Hijikata, a resident of Tokyo's Suginami Ward and of no fixed employment, was arrested early Tuesday morning in front of one of the convenience stores he allegedly robbed

Lemme guess... wearing a blue business suit and sunglasses?

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