A man arrested Wednesday for plowing vehicles into municipal government premises in Ibaraki Prefecture in two incidents has admitted to his involvement in both cases, police sources said Thursday.
A black passenger car driven by 53-year-old Yutaka Mashiko crashed into a square at the Hitachi municipal office in Ibaraki Prefecture at around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, injuring three people.
About 30 minutes later, a white car plowed into the main entrance of the Tokai village office in the same prefecture, located some 15 kilometers from the Hitachi municipal office.
Mashiko, a Hitachi resident, was arrested by the Ibaraki Prefectural Police for allegedly damaging the village office. Admitting the allegations, Mashiko said he had a grudge against the village, according to police sources.
In the Hitachi crash, a woman in her 40s had her left leg broken and two men suffered injuries, the sources said, adding that all three live in Hitachi.
The car that rammed into the Hitachi square had Mashiko's mother in the passenger seat at the time of the incident, but she was not injured. The car was found near the suspect's home, with the mother still in the seat.
At the square, an event to sell goods made by people with disabilities who work at employment support offices was being held at the time, according to municipal government officials.