A 17-year-old male was arrested Thursday after turning himself into police and admitting he killed a Buddhist monk Monday night on a road in Kaisei, Kanagawa Prefecture, police said.
Accompanied by his mother, the teen, a member of a motorcycle gang based in Odawara, went to the police around 10:30 a.m. and told them he attacked Shisho Okamoto, 24, of Minamiashigara, police said.
Okamoto, a monk at Hofukuji temple, was found bleeding from the head by a passerby at about 10:40 p.m. Monday on a prefectural road about 2 km from an interchange on the Tomei Expressway, police said.
He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said his head appeared to have been struck by a club. The 17-year-old was quoted as telling police, "I did it because my fellows were attacked."
Police said they will continue investigating the case because they believe some 10 other people may have been involved.
A group of hot-rodders were reportedly seen fleeing the scene in cars and on several motorcycles shortly before Okamoto was found.
According to police, Okamoto was on his way to see his fiancee after delivering vegetables grown at his temple to a restaurant he regularly visited. His car was found near where he was found.