A dramatic raid, in which police shattered the windows of a home in Kitakyushu, ended the search for the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl, and the injuring of another teen, at a local McDonald's outlet as a 43-year-old man was arrested.
The arrest marked the culmination of an intensive investigation by Fukuoka Prefectural Police, who pieced together surveillance footage and dashcam recordings in a meticulous "relay investigation" to identify the suspect.
The suspect, Masanori Hirabaru, who is unemployed and living alone in a house near the crime scene, did not resist arrest as he sat in a chair.
Investigators reviewed footage from over 100 security cameras and dashcams after initial witness accounts suggested the suspect had fled on foot. While the early focus on foot traffic yielded no leads, a review of footage from the restaurant parking lot revealed a suspicious van.
This breakthrough led to Hirabaru's identification, and police confirmed his vehicle’s involvement on Wednesday, securing an arrest warrant that same day.
Fearing the suspect might escape, authorities refrained from releasing the surveillance footage publicly. “There was a risk he could evade capture,” an investigator explained.
“This was a heinous and despicable act that robbed a 15-year-old of her bright future,” a senior investigator said at a news conference Thursday, adding that police had worked "tirelessly around the clock" to bring the suspect to justice.
Hirabaru’s arrest has cast a spotlight on his erratic behavior in the years leading up to the attack. According to neighbors, he was notorious for disruptive conduct, including shouting through a loudspeaker and setting off fireworks, often in the early morning or late at night.
Complaints about his behavior had been filed with the Kokuraminami police station as recently as October.
“The strange noises started about a year or two ago,” one neighbor said, adding that police patrols had occasionally responded to complaints.
A 74-year-old man living nearby recalled an incident in which Hirabaru, when confronted about the noise, yelled back, “What’s wrong with it?” Despite police warnings, his disruptive behavior continued unabated.
Hirabaru’s erratic conduct earned him the reputation of “troublemaker” in the neighborhood, with many residents avoiding him altogether. “He was the kind of person everyone tried to steer clear of,” the man added.
While Hirabaru’s behavior created disturbances, police said there was no evidence he had made direct threats or engaged in violent acts prior to the attack. Complaints filed in May and October led officers to contact him, but his actions were not considered criminal at the time.
On the day before his arrest, Hirabaru was seen taking out the trash, and neighbors reported nothing unusual about his demeanor.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.