Japanese school employee detained for second hamster killing spree at love hotel

Motoki Kimura, a 36-year-old employee of a high school, was taken into custody on suspicion of killing around 30 hamsters at a love hotel in Iwate Prefecture. This arrest comes just weeks after he was detained in July for allegedly murdering 25 hamsters at a different love hotel, an act reportedly captured on video. Authorities also arrested 20-year-old temporary worker Haruka Fujisawa for her alleged role in the first massacre, which occurred in late March.

Investigators uncovered messages on Kimura’s seized phone that discussed where to kill the hamsters and expressed a disturbing enthusiasm for the acts. Lead investigator Hiroyuki Nasu cited these communications as key evidence. A second, unnamed woman is said to have been apprehended for participation in the later killings.