Shinji Nagao allegedly attempted to burn down his house after killing his brother in an arson attack.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 58-year-old man at a Tokyo airport after an arson attack left his disabled brother dead and another attempt resulted in the evacuation of his apartment building, reports Nikkan Sports (April 11).
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, Shinji Nagao, a resident of Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, allegedly set fire to the home of his brother, 61-year-old Yutaka.
His brother, who was confined to a wheelchair, was pulled from a first-floor bedroom of the wood structure, located in the Nishikameari area of Katsushika Ward, and taken to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. However, Nagao, who stayed at the residence on Friday night, has insinuated to police that he started the blaze.
The following morning, Nagao rigged his third-floor residence, located in the Nijigaoka area of Kawasaki’s Asao Ward, such that gas intentionally leaked inside and a number of cans of kerosene and gasoline would ignite once the front door was opened in an attempt to burn his house down.
“I wanted to erase my life,” the suspect is quoted by police.
Approximately 50 residents in the immediate area were evacuated as a result of the incident.
On Monday, police apprehended Nagao inside a parking lot for Haneda International Airport. He had purchased a ticket for a flight to Vietnam, according to the Asahi Shimbun (April 11).
A male neighbor of Nagao told Nikkan Sports that the suspect had been having difficulties with family members. “When his mother passed away a few years ago, he did not attend the funeral,” said the neighbor.
Source: Tokyo Reporter Image: ANN
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