Tokyo police arrested a 78-year-old man on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson of an occupied building after he poured gasoline in his home kitchen and set it alight, killing a relative and injuring two others.
Makoto Seki, a company employee who lives in Haneda 3-chome in Ota Ward, was arrested on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Department said. The arrest was made after he recovered from burns to both legs and was discharged from hospital.
Seki has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators he had meant to die as well, according to a person involved in the investigation. "There is no mistake about what I did, but I intended to die too," he was quoted as saying.
What happened
At around 9:40 a.m. on July 26, Seki is suspected of pouring gasoline over Michiyo Terashima, 61, who lived with him, and igniting it with a gas stove burner. Terashima was cooking at the time. The fire burned the kitchen floor and other surfaces, and she died.
Terashima's mother, 83, and her eldest son, 32, were also in the house and suffered burns to the throat, face and other areas. Seki was burned on both legs and was hospitalized, which is why police waited to arrest him.