THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 20, 2023 at 17:10 JST
A girl’s body was found in this vehicle in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture, on Oct. 19. (Yoichi Tsubura)
KAMINOKAWA, Tochigi Prefecture--A man has been arrested after a teenage girl was found dead in the back seat of a parked rental car here early on Oct. 19.
The girl is believed to be a 15-year-old high school student from Chiba Prefecture, sources said.
On Oct. 20, an autopsy revealed the cause of death was suffocation resulting from pressure on her neck.
The body, covered with scrapes and bruises, was found in the vehicle at 3 a.m. after a police officer on night patrol became suspicious and questioned the man in the driver’s seat.
Police arrested Tatsuya Yasuzumi, 28, an unemployed man from Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on suspicion of abandoning a body.
He has admitted to the allegation, the sources said.
Police suspect Yasuzumi knows the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
Investigators said the girl was wearing a white blouse, a navy V-neck sweater and a dark green pleated skirt. She was wearing navy socks but no shoes.
The girl appears to have died several days before her body was discovered.
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