BRAZIL (TR) – Police in the state of Goias have arrested a teenage boy over the alleged murder of a missing Japanese woman whose body was found dumped in a forest, reports TBS News (Nov. 18).
On Monday, the body of Hitomi Akamatsu, 43, was found buried under soil and rocks in a wooded area of Abadiana. An examination of her body showed signs of strangulation.
The following day, police accused the boy, 18, of robbery resulting in murder and abandoning a corpse. His arrest followed an examination of security camera footage by police.
Akamatsu, who is a resident of Brazil, was last seen on November 10. An acquaintance reported her missing on Sunday.
On the day she went missing, the boy attempted to rob Akamatsu. He later told police that he strangled her when she resisted the attack. The suspect then dumped her body to conceal the crime.
The boy suffers from a drug addiction. He carried out the crime in order to obtain money to purchase drugs, police said.
Great East Japan Earthquake
Abadiana is known for spirituality, largely due to the influence of psychic healer and convicted sex offender Joao de Deus.
Akamatsu was a victim of Japan’s Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. She moved to a facility in the area in order to receive radiation treatments two years ago.
