Four Men Force Pedestrian to Kneel Over Dropped Phone

“You dropped my phone. The screen is cracked. Pay for it.”

The men deliberately bumped into a passing man and made the following accusation: “You dropped my phone. The screen is cracked. Pay for it.” They then allegedly stomped on the man’s head and took his valuables.

On December 3, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Juvenile Crime Division arrested four men, including 21-year-old part-time worker Reiji Aihara, from Kodaira City, Tokyo, and a 19-year-old university student, on suspicion of robbery. On the night of May 24, between 1:30 and 3:30 AM, they allegedly bumped into a 29-year-old unemployed man, referred to as Mr. A, while he was walking on the streets of Shibuya. They then demanded money and took a bag containing approximately 90,000 yen, among other items.

Aihara and the other suspects allegedly deliberately dropped a smartphone and threatened Mr. A, saying, “What are you going to do? Pay for the repair costs. If you don’t pay, we’ll stay here.” They then dragged him to a nearby park, forced him to kneel, and reportedly stomped on the back of his head for about a minute, assaulting him.

The four men took a bag containing about 93,000 yen in cash and a smartphone. After the incident, Mr. A called the police. Through surveillance camera footage from the surrounding area, Aihara and the others were identified as suspects. Mr. A had no prior acquaintance with the men. (Reported by a national newspaper’s social affairs department)

I did it on impulse.

On December 4, the magazine’s photographer captured images of the suspect, Mr. Aihara, entering the Shibuya police station. He sat deeply in the backseat of the transport vehicle, giving sharp looks to the surroundings, presenting a defiant attitude.

“In response to police questioning, Mr. Aihara denied committing the crime, stating, ‘I have no recollection of it.’ The other three men reportedly stated, ‘We did it on impulse.’ In Shibuya, there have been numerous incidents where men have targeted passersby, assaulted them, and stolen their belongings. In December 2022, a 20-something man, Mr. B, was severely injured and required three weeks to recover after an attack near Shibuya Station.

Around 7 a.m., five male university students, who had been drinking on the street, came across Mr. B, who was drunk and struggling to walk. Mr. B had been drinking at a club and was on his way home. The men picked a fight with him, choking him and causing him to fall. They then proceeded to assault him by punching and kicking, stealing his wallet from his pants pocket before fleeing. The main suspect, a university student, was arrested shortly after by a patrolling police officer. The other men turned themselves in to the police later on” (same source).

The men involved in the incident mentioned at the beginning were all members of the same delinquent group.