Man Holds Cat Hostage in Date Money Dispute: What Neighbors Say About Him

A message saying “Help me”

A man who forcibly took a woman hostage by using her beloved cat as “collateral” was arrested.

“On September 5, the Takenotsuka Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Toshihiro Sugimoto (49), whose occupation is unknown, on suspicion of kidnapping for profit. He forcibly took his 40s girlfriend, Ms. A, reportedly after a dispute over dating expenses.

On the 4th, Sugimoto showed up at Ms. A’s home in Ibaraki Prefecture and loaded her cat and cat tower into his car. Creating a situation where Ms. A had no choice but to get into the car, he then took her to his home in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. He kept her with him for about 18 hours—from 8 p.m. on the 4th until 2 p.m. on the 5th.

A relative who received messages from Ms. A saying ‘Help me’ contacted the Takenotsuka Police Station. Officers staked out Sugimoto’s home and arrested both on the spot when they returned home,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

Around 7:30 a.m. on September 7, Sugimoto was sent to prosecutors. When he appeared from the first floor of the Takenotsuka Police Station, he immediately looked down upon seeing the media cameras and got into the transport vehicle, hiding behind police officers.

Sugimoto’s home is located in a quiet residential area of Adachi Ward, at the end of a dead-end street barely wide enough for one car. A woman in her 50s living nearby described the strange scene she saw on the morning of the 5th:

“Around 9 a.m., I looked outside and saw about 30 detectives holding umbrellas standing in front of Sugimoto’s house in the rain. There was also a police car parked, and I immediately knew something serious was going on. Only one car had entered the dead-end street, but I saw several police cars parked outside.

Then around 2 p.m., Sugimoto came back in his car and went inside his house with the detectives. After a while, he came out surrounded by detectives and was put into a police car. At that time, he was loudly shouting someone’s surname.”

“I’ll bring another woman soon.”

Sugimoto has been living in this house for about a year. A man living nearby said, “He was never a friendly guy,” describing his impression of Sugimoto.

“Even when we met outside, he rarely greeted anyone. He had a somewhat scary vibe. He stayed home all day, so I had no idea what kind of work he did. He lived here with a woman, and they often took the dog for walks together. Not long ago, police cars and an ambulance showed up at night—I thought maybe they had a fight.”

Another man said he had the following conversation with Sugimoto:

“Sugimoto was living with a woman, but they didn’t seem to be married. Recently, the woman hadn’t been seen around, but I happened to talk to Sugimoto once, and he said, ‘I kicked her out. But I’ll bring another woman soon.’ I thought he must be pretty popular with women.”

It is still unclear whether another woman Sugimoto referred to was Ms. A. During police questioning, Sugimoto denied the charges, saying, “There was an argument over money, but I did not forcibly take her anywhere.”

However, it is almost certain that he forcibly took Ms. A’s cat. The cat, caught up in Sugimoto’s selfish crime, might be the biggest victim of all.