Saitama: Man, 58, accused of fatally strangling girlfriend before choking her daughter

tokyoreporter.com -- Jul 31

Earlier this month, Saitama Prefectural Police arrested a 58-year-old man on suspicion of attempting to kill the daughter of his girlfriend.

Last week, police applied fresh charges to the suspect, this time for the alleged murder of his girlfriend. According to Kyodo News (July 25), both crimes unfolded mere hours apart.

At some point on July 1 or the following day, Terumasa Watanabe, of no known occupation, allegedly used a rope to strangle Manami Kumada, 46, inside his apartment in Saitama City’s Midori Ward.

Upon his arrest on suspicion of murder on July 25, Watanabe declined to comment on the allegations, police said.

After strangling Kumada, the suspect then visited her residence in Minami Ward. At around 7:00 a.m. on July 2, he allegedly choked Kumada’s daughter, police said.

After the second incident, the girl, aged in her teens, fled the residence and sought help from a neighbor, who alerted police.

At just past 5:00 p.m. on July 2, officers investigating the matter entered Watanabe’s residence and found Kumada’s body.

At the time, Watanabe’s whereabouts were not known. The following day, police located him at an unspecified location in Ageo City and accused him of attempted murder.

Police are now investigating the circumstances that led to the incidents.

Jul 31 (ANNnewsCH) - さいたま市で交際相手の女性を首を絞めて殺害した疑いで58歳の男が再逮捕されました。男は女性の娘を殺害しようとした疑いで逮捕されていました。  無職の渡部晃正容疑者は1日から翌日の間、さいたま市緑区の自宅アパートの居間で交際相手の熊田真奈美さん(46)の首を絞めて殺害した疑いで逮捕されました。警察によりますと、渡部容疑者の自宅からは犯行に使われたとみられるロープのようなものが押収されています。取り調べに対して「黙秘します」と何も話さないということです。渡部容疑者は熊田さんの10代の娘の首を絞めて殺害しようとした疑いですでに逮捕されていて、警察は殺害に至った経緯などを詳しく調べています。