TOTTORI (TR) – Police in Yonago City have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly vandalizing a love hotel room and making off with two coffee mugs after checking in by himself, reports BSS Sanyo (Oct. 12).
The suspect, a self-proclaimed construction worker residing in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, is accused of property damage and theft, police announced on October 12.
According to investigators, the man stayed at the Yonago love hotel from around 6:30 p.m. on June 9 until 11:30 a.m. the following day. During his solo stay, he allegedly went on a destructive spree, destroying three hangers and a towel rack, resulting in 61,000 yen in damages.
Before checking out, he also allegedly stole two mugs valued at approximately 3,000 yen.
The bizarre incident came to light on the afternoon of June 10 when a hotel employee entered the vacated room to clean. “I went into the room the customer was using and found the hangers had been broken,” the employee told officers at the Yonago Police Station.
Police identified the suspect after analyzing the facility’s security camera footage and tracking his movements.
Upon his arrest, the man admitted to the allegations. In a statement to police, he reportedly said, “I’ve broken things in the past, so I think it’s about that time.”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the vandalism and theft. Police are also looking into the man’s past usage of the hotel, whether there had been any prior disputes, and are trying to determine if the suspect previously had an employment relationship with the facility.