TOKYO: A 16-year-old boy who claimed to be a construction worker was arrested Tuesday (May 12) on suspicion of forcefully obstructing business operations after he allegedly sprayed a liquid-like substance inside a JR Tokaido Line train, causing major delays, Kanagawa Prefectural Police said.
According to investigators, the boy, who lives in Ota Ward, Tokyo, allegedly discharged the substance from a spray can inside an inbound Tokaido Line train at around 4.30pm Sunday (May 10), disrupting East Japan Railway Co. operations and delaying service for approximately two hours and 15 minutes.
The composition of the substance remains unknown. Police said the boy told investigators that he sprayed a spray can he had brought with him on the train.
Authorities said the suspect boarded the train at Yokohama Station with five male and female teenage friends and is believed to have gotten off at Kawasaki Station after releasing the spray.
A family of three — a husband, wife and child — complained of throat irritation and were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
No hazardous substances were detected inside the train, according to police.
Investigators identified the boy through evidence including security camera footage from inside the train. - The Yomiuri Shimbun
