Tokyo cops: Drunk man sets laundry on fire while stealing women’s underwear

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly setting laundry on fire while stealing women’s undergarments from a residence in Edogawa Ward, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 14).

At around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, Tetsuharu Matsuda, a construction worker who handles scaffolding, allegedly climbed over a wall onto the balcony of the residence and stole three items of women’s underwear hanging out to dry. He also set a towel on fire with a lighter.

The suspect has been charged with causing property damage and theft.

Matsuda was heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident. “While starting the fire purely for mischief purposes, I saw the hanging underwear and stole them,” the suspect is quoted by the Komatsugawa Police Station in admitting to the allegations.

About 10 minutes before the crime, a sunshade at a residence located about 200 meters away was set on fire. Police are now investigating whether Matsuda was also behind that incident.