A 26-year-old man in Japan has been arrested after taking a woman’s four parakeets hostage, threatening to harm them unless she met with him.
According to Livedoor News, the incident unfolded around 1 a.m. on February 7, when the suspect, a self-described company employee from Akayu in Nanyo City, Japan, contacted a woman he knew in her 20s living in the Okitama region via a mobile communication app.
Investigators said the man then attempted to pressure the woman into meeting him in person, warning that there was no way to save her pets unless she agreed to comply with his demands.
Parakeets taken hostage in a bizarre case
“There’s no way to save your parakeet other than coming back,” one message read. Another warned, “You have four lives that will die because it’s hard to say no to your friend,” before the suspect added, “If you apologize over the phone now, I’ll forgive your parakeet.”
Rather than responding to the threats, the woman contacted authorities, and officers intervened before any harm was done and arrested the man on suspicion of attempted coercion.
Since his arrest, police say the man has admitted to the charges, and authorities are now examining his motive and the circumstances that led to the incident.
Officials have not indicated whether the birds were ever in immediate danger, but confirmed that all four parakeets are now safe following the arrest.
