17-6-2023 (TOKYO) An incident occurred on the 14th at the Hankyu Umeda Department Store in Osaka Prefecture, where an unidentified gas was sprayed in the women’s restroom, affecting 14 people who were subsequently hospitalized for treatment. The police were able to track down and arrest a 33-year-old female suspect who had fled the scene of the crime.
The suspect claimed that she sprayed the elderly woman’s face with a self-defense pepper spray that she carried with her because she was angered by someone cutting in line at the restroom. According to Fuji News Network, at around 1:30 p.m. on the 14th, a woman estimated to be in her 30s sprayed an unknown substance in the women’s restroom on the 9th floor of the Hankyu Umeda Department Store. Multiple individuals at the scene experienced symptoms such as eye irritation.
Upon receiving the report, the police and fire department immediately rushed to the scene. Although no gas or other substances were detected inside the restroom by the firefighters, 14 individuals reported discomfort and were subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, all suffered only minor symptoms.
The 85-year-old victim stated that as she exited the restroom stall, she was suddenly attacked by the suspect with an unknown spray, resulting in eye pain. After being hospitalized, it was determined that her recovery would take approximately one week. The department store’s security personnel promptly notified the authorities upon learning of the incident. The elderly woman described the suspect as a sturdy woman in her 30s, approximately 165 centimeters tall.
Following an investigation, the police identified and arrested a 33-year-old woman named Misao Yamagishi. Upon being apprehended, the woman claimed that she sprayed the elderly woman with the self-defense pepper spray out of frustration after being cut in line at the restroom.
