Police in Osaka's Hirano Ward on Friday arrested a 57-year-old man on suspicion of stabbing to death a woman who he had been stalking.

According to police, Yumi Imura, 38, who worked at a bar, was attacked while she was riding her bike home at around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Neighbors told police they heard a woman screaming, NTV reported. A witness said he saw a man get into a white car and drive away from the scene of the crime.

Imura was taken to hospital with stab wounds to her neck and abdomen but was pronounced dead, police said. The attack took place around 300 meters from the bar where Imura worked.

At around 6 a.m., police arrested the suspect, identified as Takashi Matsumoto, about one kilometer away from the murder scene at a 7-Eleven convenience store. NTV quoted police as saying that Matsumoto has admitted to the crime.

The bar owner said that Matsumoto had been a frequent customer at the bar since last August. Police said that Imura had consulted with them in March after Matsumoto started sending her continuous text messages and phone calls in February. In a 24-hour period between March 1 and 2, he sent 33 messages. In some of the messages, Matsumoto said he wanted to kill her and then himself so they could live together in heaven, police said. In another message, Matsumoto told Imura to contact police before he killed her.

In early March, police issued a written warning to Matsumoto and he promised not to contact Imura again. They advised Imura to change her address and job but she said she could not because she had two sons to support. Imura also declined to file a criminal complaint, police said.

Police told media that they checked on Imura from time to time and called her to see if she was OK. On April 2, she thanked them for calling and said she hadn't heard from Matsumoto.

Police were due to call Imura again on Friday.

© Japan Today