Photo/Illutration Yuha Ono (Twitter)

TONDABAYASHI, Osaka Prefecture--A grandmother and her common-law husband who have been charged after a 2-year-old girl died of heatstroke at their home had planned to stay gone for three nights, according to investigative sources. 

The girl, Yuha Ono, was left alone all day in her playpen in an apartment amid a nationwide heat wave and died on June 29 while her family went to a theme park.

Osaka prefectural police arrested Mayumi Ono, 46, who is unemployed, along with her common-law husband, Takanori Momoda, 50, who is self-employed, on June 30. They are accused of neglecting Ono's granddaughter for 11 hours in their apartment here.

The police already confirmed that the couple had stayed at hotels near Universal Studios Japan, a popular amusement park in the city of Osaka, two days before the tragedy.

The latest details found that the two had also booked a hotel near the theme park on the night of the girl’s death, according to investigative sources.

The couple said they returned home after being told of the girl’s condition. But Osaka police believe that they had been scheduled to stay there for three nights while leaving the girl at home.

Police are investigating how they spent the day the girl died. The couple were living with Yuha, along with Ono’s fourth son, who is 15, and her fifth son, who is 6.

They had told investigators that they left home with the 6-year-old at 5 a.m. on June 29 and went to the theme park.

Investigators, however, confirmed that they stayed at a hotel near the amusement park with the 6-year-old on June 27 and stayed at another hotel the following day.

The couple then admitted to staying there from June 27, saying, “We booked a hotel on June 29, but returned home immediately when receiving a phone call from the 15-year-old, saying, ‘Yuha is not breathing.’”

After they left home by car on June 27, however, there was no sign that they returned until the evening of June 29 when they were contacted by Ono’s fourth son, according to Osaka police.

The police said the 15-year-old left home for school at 7:40 a.m. on June 29. After that, Yuha appeared to have been left alone in the playpen until 4 p.m. when he returned home.

Based on her autopsy, Yuha was believed to have died from heatstroke at around noon on June 29.

The Osaka police also revealed that a board almost the same size as the top of the playpen was found. It is investigating if the board was used atop it since it had a handle and hinges.

Yuha was put in the playpen in a room about 13 square meters, according to the police. The playpen was 91 centimeters long and 124 cm wide. The height was 88 cm, taller than the girl. 

The board was found in another room, according to police. It appears to be handmade as it was just the right size to cover the top of the playpen. The board has a handle, along with two hinges, so that it can be folded in two.

The playpen is believed to have originally been a crib. The bed that was attached to the middle of the crib had been removed.

The four sides of the playpen were all covered with boards, making it difficult for the 2-year-old to climb out of it. That might also have resulted it in being poorly ventilated.

The temperature hit 34.5 degrees in the city on June 29, according to the city’s fire authorities. Nothing was laid on the wooden floor.

The police said there was no food or drink inside the playpen and no solids were found in the girl's stomach.

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