CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested a 28-year-old man after the body of a 30-year-old woman was discovered inside a car parked at a parking lot in Miyagi Prefecture, reports TBS News (Oct. 24).
Ryota Nakajima, a self-described company employee from Matsudo City, Chiba, is accused of transporting the remains of his acquaintance, Risa Kato, over a period starting around October 17.
Police allege Nakajima drove the body from an apartment parking lot in Ichihara City, Chiba to a coin-operated parking lot in Sendai City’s Aoba Ward, where he abandoned the vehicle with her corpse inside.
The grim discovery came to light on October 21 after Kato’s husband contacted police. “I can’t get in touch with her, and the car is gone,” he reported.
Officers subsequently located the vehicle and found Kato’s body in the back seat, concealed under a blanket. According to investigators, there were no noticeable external injuries on the body, and it is believed several days had passed since her death.
During police questioning on suspicion of abandoning a corpse, Nakajima admitted to the allegations of dumping the body and hinted that he was responsible for Kato’s death.
Police are now expanding their investigation with a view to pursue murder charges.