Shiga, Apr 18, 2024 (News On Japan) - A 74-year-old woman who was detained by police for 3 days following her arrest for allegedly stealing a pack of inari sushi, has received an apology from Shiga police after investigations revealed she had received the pack as a gift from a friend.
The incident began on the morning of April 13 when staff at a supermarket in Omihachiman City reported to the police that a woman inside the store had shoplifted. The suspect, a 74-year-old local woman, was arrested after surveillance footage showed her picking up items in the food section and seemingly placing something in her bag, including a pack of inari sushi worth about 300 yen, without paying at the register.
Throughout the police investigation, the woman consistently denied the allegations, stating, "I did not do it" and "A friend bought it for me."
Further investigation led to the identification of a male acquaintance who had given the inari sushi to the woman. After reconciling the store's inventory with sales data, the police concluded that no theft had occurred. The woman was released and received an apology from the police three days after her arrest, having been detained for approximately 82 hours.
Deputy Chief Takahiro Suginaka of Omihachiman Station expressed deep regret over the incident, stating, "We sincerely apologize to the person arrested. We will conduct a thorough investigation and take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again."
