YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) A 21-year-old man who went missing while on probation after receiving a suspended prison term in a lay judge trial was arrested Friday on suspicion of theft, police said.
Tatsuya Oba allegedly stole around ¥33,000 late last month from a 37-year-old construction firm employee at the company's dormitory in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, according to the police.
The police said Oba has admitted to the charges, telling investigators, "I needed money."
Oba, who received a suspended three-year prison term for arson at the Yokohama District Court in October and went missing shortly afterward, temporarily stayed at the dorm after interviewing for a job with the company.
When he showed up at a ward office in Kawasaki on Friday to apply for social welfare, officials contacted the Yokohama Probation Office, who informed the police. If Oba is convicted, he will be imprisoned.