Police on Wednesday identified a man under arrest for stabbing a Tokyo high school student as Charles Thomas Ikenaga, 21, and said he had been stalking the young woman.
They said Ikenaga attacked Saaya Suzuki, 18, in front of her home in Mitaka, west Tokyo, on Tuesday afternoon. Sustaining several stab wounds to her neck and abdomen, she was confirmed dead at a hospital.
Ikenaga, who was apprehended after fleeing the scene, allegedly admitted to assaulting Suzuki and was quoted as telling investigators, "I got a knife ready beforehand, and abandoned it while running away."
Earlier Tuesday, Suzuki and her parents visited a police station to report that she was being stalked by Ikenaga. Police called his mobile phone three times to issue a warning, but he did not answer.
Suzuki is believed to have been attacked when she came home shortly before 5 p.m., the police said.