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TOKYO - JAPANESE police said on Monday that a man arrested over a rape case is suspected to be behind at least 50 other sexual assaults and 300 thefts targeting young women.
Yasunori Arikawa, 34, was first arrested for allegedly breaking into a home in the central city of Nagoya and stealing cash.
He was then served a fresh arrest warrant after a DNA test matched bodily fluid found at the scene of a rape in 2001, police said.
In the 2001 case, Arikawa allegedly crept into the Nagoya apartment of a 20-year-old university student as she was sleeping and raped her, the spokesman said.
'He allegedly threatened to stab her unless she remained quiet,' the spokesman said.
Police now suspect his involvement in a string of similar cases, he said.
'Police are investigating him believing he is linked to at least 50 other rapes and some 300 cases of stealing,' he said.
Police believe he targeted women living alone in the area and intruded into their residences late at night to sexually assault them and steal money. -- AFP
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