52-Year-Old Ex-Supermarket Worker Arrested for Stalking Former Colleague: Chilling Confession

He appeared at the victim’s workplace.

“She said she just had to see his face.”

This is what Ayano Sato (52), who was arrested on October 15 by the Chiba Prefectural Police Funabashi Station on suspicion of violating the Stalker Regulation Law, revealed during questioning after her arrest.

Sato is suspected of stalking a man in his 30s, Mr. A, a former colleague from the supermarket where she once worked.

“Between September 17 and 29, Sato came to the supermarket on days when Mr. A was working, not to shop, but to stare at him. Sato had already been warned three times for her stalking behavior towards Mr. A,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

Sato’s stalking began in May 2022. At that time, she developed feelings for Mr. A, who was a colleague, and began visiting his home. After receiving a consultation from Mr. A, the police issued a warning, and the situation temporarily calmed down. However, in May 2023, Sato reached out to Mr. A again through SNS and letters, asking to meet and requesting that he date her. The police warned her again, and the matter seemed to settle.

But by July this year, Sato started showing up frequently at the supermarket where Mr. A worked. Given the previous incidents, Mr. A consulted the police, saying, “This is creepy,” and a third warning was issued, stating, “You will become a stalker.”

“Even though it’s called a warning, it’s not just a verbal reprimand. We use leaflets to explain what constitutes stalking behavior, and after obtaining their understanding, we have them sign a document. While previous warnings were issued once a year, this time, the incidents continued in July and September. This was clearly malicious, which led to the arrest,” said a police source.

There are also testimonies saying, “He was a friendly person.”

A man who lives near the apartment where Suspect Sato resides revealed the details of the arrest.

“At around 8 a.m., I heard a woman’s voice saying ‘Please stop’ and ‘Help.’ I listened carefully to see what was going on, and I heard the voices of several men and women. Another woman was repeatedly trying to calm Sato down, saying, ‘Sato-san, please calm down.’”

Before his arrest, Sato was working as a cashier at a different supermarket. A customer who had used the store many times shared some surprising details about him.

“As he rang up purchases, he would say things like, ‘This is cheap,’ or ‘This is a good deal,’ and was always friendly. When I bought heavy items, he even went out of his way to carry them outside for me.”

However, a man who lives in the same apartment building as Sato saw a different side to him.

“He’s a strange woman, to be honest. Even if I greeted her, she would just glance at me. Once, when Sato was about to leave, I happened to be near the door. When she saw me, she slammed the door shut and retreated into her room. It was as if she had an aura that said, ‘Don’t talk to me.’”

A social reporter mentioned:

“Sato admitted to the charges, saying, ‘I couldn’t suppress my feelings for A-san, and I had to see him working, so I went to the store.’ He also reportedly said, ‘Is it really so bad to get arrested for this?’”

Even after his arrest, it seems he still believes, “It can’t be helped because I love him…”