A 52-year-old man nicknamed "Crow Takao" has been arrested for stealing a safe from a beauty salon in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, the Metropolitan Police Department said Monday.
Michikazu Takao, who is unemployed and has no fixed address, was taken into custody on charges of theft and breaking into a building. He admitted to the charges, saying, "Tokyo is the best place to make money."
Investigators gave Takao his nickname because he wears a cap adorned with three crow feathers.
After his arrest, he told the police that he believes crows possessed special powers and that he carried the feathers as a protective charm.
Takao is accused of breaking into the second floor of a multitenant building in Minato Ward on July 5 around midnight and stealing a small safe containing approximately ¥40,000 ($280) in cash.
According to police, Takao disabled the building’s security system before he broke in. Authorities are investigating his involvement in 10 other similar cases of theft in the Minato area between May and July, of which the total amount stolen is approximately ¥1.2 million.
Investigators believe Takao has been living off stolen goods for nearly 30 years and has multiple prior convictions for theft.
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