Suspect in Chiba robbery-abduction case apprehended

A 21-year-old man who was on the police’s wanted list has been apprehended in Tokyo over the robbery and abduction of a woman in Chiba Prefecture earlier this month, investigative sources said Monday.
Rikuto Kubota is suspected of being one of the perpetrators in the case, in which a house was broken into in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Oct. 17 and a 50-year-old woman was abducted.
The Chiba Prefectural Police believe Kubota conspired with others over the break-in, punched the victim in the face and stole her car, as well as other possessions.
The police have arrested two others in connection with the case.
Kubota previously had blonde hair but changed it to black while on the run, Fuji TV reported.
In a robbery and murder case that occurred in Yokohama’s Aoba Ward on Oct. 15, a person with a similar appearance to Kubota was captured by security cameras in the vicinity of the crime scene, the police said.
Prior to Kubota’s arrest on Sunday, the National Police Agency had put him on a list of suspects regarding which the police is willing to offer up to ¥3 million ($19,500) for useful information leading to an arrest.