A 47-year-old woman indicted for shoplifting at a Don Quijote outlet in the city of Saitama in mid-December was served a fresh warrant Tuesday for allegedly starting an arson fire Dec. 15 at the same store.
DNA extracted from saliva found on a cigarette butt left near the site where a minor fire started at the discount retailer's Omiyaowada store matches a sample taken from the suspect, who was identified as Noriko Watanabe, Saitama Prefectural Police officials said.
Watanabe, an unemployed resident of the city, has been charged with stealing about 520,000 yen worth of goods, including a pair of luxury watches, from the store just before the fire broke out.
She was chased by shop employees while escaping from the store in the confusion of the fire and fled in her car.