OSAKA - A Russian woman was found dead in her apartment in Osaka’s Naniwa Ward, and police have arrested her 21-year-old son on suspicion of robbery and murder.
The suspect, Kinki Ito, a 21-year-old company employee living in Shizuoka Prefecture, is accused of killing his mother, Elena Ito, a 50-year-old Russian national, in her apartment on June 26th. Police allege that he struck her dozens of times, strangled her, and then stole 15,000 yen in cash.
Ito had already been arrested earlier for trespassing into the neighboring apartment building to gain access to his mother’s balcony. During questioning at that time, he reportedly told police, "I punched her several times, then strangled her with both hands for over five minutes and broke her neck." However, he has remained silent regarding the robbery-murder charge.
A friend of Elena told reporters, "Three months ago, she said she was beaten badly. She said her son would sometimes beat her."
An autopsy determined that the cause of death was heatstroke. Investigators are continuing to examine the relationship between the assault and her death, while also probing the possibility that Ito had previously demanded money from his mother, as they work to establish the motive.
Source: YOMIURI
