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Police Monday night arrested an unemployed woman on suspicion of abducting a 1-year-old girl from a shopping center. The child was recovered unharmed. “My husband and I have no children,” the 38-year-old suspect, identified as Shinobu Uta, was quoted as telling police. “The girl was cute, and I took her on a sudden impulse.”
Police say the incident occurred at a shopping center in Iruma. The child, who was with her mother at a children’s clothing store, wandered off and Uta allegedly seized her. Uta then allegedly drove 4 km to the parking lot of another shopping center.
According to police, about 40 minutes later, Uta dialed 110 and, presenting herself as a bystander, said, “There’s a little girl here who’s all alone. I’ve been keeping an eye on her.”
Security cameras at the shopping center, however, showed Uta with the child, leading police to arrest her..
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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CavemanLawyer
Ask her if she has been to Chiba recently --Cirroc
dammit
At least she gave her back, in a responsible way, without harming her at all.
If anyone stole one of my kids, that's the best outcome I could hope for. But I'd rather it didn't happen at all - when our youngest learns to walk, I have reins in the drawer to snap onto his harness. No wandering off for him - I hope.
borscht
She was cute so I took her. Not too long ago a man said, she was cute so I killed her. What are these people thinking? That people are toys to be played with an discarded? This woman is 38, that's old enough to know right from wrong. Isn't it? Even in Japan?
fatloser
Another defective malcontent graduates from the Saitama school of crime!!
CavemanLawyer
Whatever are you talking about? I seriously doubt that excuse was used for murder. --Cirroc
nutsagain
Borsht: I remember the incident and the quote.
Maff
A prefecture with seven-million people crammed together in a contigious suburban sprawl.
And this is all that's happened there in the way of serious crime in the last week or so.
Woooh. Scary place.
romulus3
Why didn't she go to the baby hatch and wait?
romulus3
was the 1 year old shopping unsupervised?
romulus3
oh, I see. Mama was looking at baby clothes and saying "kawaii" but was not looking at her child. Pathetic!
FrEcKlEfAcE
Dangerous people around every corner, which validates my inherent mistrust of strangers. Anyway, how did a 1 year old baby wander off?
norinrad21
here i was thinking we will be having a Saitama free week.
spudman
well 23 months is still a one year old, they can really scoot if they want to..
FrEcKlEfAcE
If they want to.... Wow, I can only shake my head.
BlackFlag
hmmm, it's sometimes okay to speculate then?
OgieDoggie
Impulse Shopping will do it to you everytime, you always bring home something you REALLY didn't need.
KitsuneYoukai
She's 38; if Japanese are healthy she could still have children. She didn't have to steal one.
NeoJamal
All I thought was
"HAUUUU OMOCHIKAERIIII" You Gonna Get Taken Home
noirgaijin
Child was in the right place, mom wandered off! I guess Uta realized after her purcahse of a child at the shopping center, it did not include instruction on how to care and feed it.
SpanishEyez37
Not too long ago I was at a supermarket,and this poor little girl, I would at least a year old , was just standing in the middle of the produce aisle,crying and calling out her mama. I looked around to see if anyone was going to get her or at least approach her, but no one did. I was hesitant, because well crying kid plus gaijin female with tattoos equals not a good thing. But as I bent down to try to comfort her, mom finally shows up , says arigatou and all that.
Point is unfortunately kids here wander off so easily and moms seem oblvious.
SpanishEyez37
I meant oblivious, sorry.
Dennis Bauer
luckily it was not i killed her on impulse, maybe the mother now learned a valuable lesson
NetteMarie
I think the lady realized "kids are cute from far away and only when you know you can give them back to their mother".
It's my motto for children, anyway.