The foster mother of a 3-year-old-girl was arrested Sunday in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, for allegedly fatally injuring the girl, police said.
Lee Yong Sim, 43, is suspected of punching Junko Onuma in the face and body at her home around 1 a.m. because the girl would not stop crying, the police said.
Lee's 43-year-old husband called an ambulance and took the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead soon thereafter, the police said.
Police said the girl, whom the couple took in as a foster child in July from a private facility in the city, had bruises all over her body. They suspect that Lee repeatedly abused her.
Lee was living with her Japanese husband and two foster children -- the girl and a 4-year-old boy.
A child counseling center in Tochigi Prefecture has decided to temporarily remove the boy from the home and investigate how the couple was able to take the girl in, counseling center officials said.