Sri Lankan Arrested in Tokyo after Woman Injured in Robbery-Assault on Shibuya Street

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:53 JST, January 9, 2026

A 30-year-old Sri Lankan national was arrested on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after an incident on a street in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, the Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday. The arrest was made Wednesday.

According to police, the suspect, an unemployed resident of Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, is suspected of approaching a woman in her 30s from behind at around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 21 last year, covering her mouth with his hand and saying words including “cash.” Police said the suspect then pushed her to the ground and stole a bag containing items such as a credit card.

The woman suffered injuries to her neck and other areas and was expected to take about two weeks to recover. The suspect is said to have admitted the allegations.

Police are also examining whether the case is connected to another incident about 30 minutes earlier on a nearby street, in which a woman in her 20s was nearly robbed of her bag by a man.