Elderly man dies after arrest for biting woman at Japanese park

An 89-year-old man arrested for biting a woman at a nature park in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, has died after being taken into custody, local police confirmed.

According to authorities, the man, a resident of Ikeda City in Osaka Prefecture, was apprehended at 2 p.m. after biting a 49-year-old woman on the arm during an argument at a cherry blossom viewing spot, Japan Today reports.

Two officers attempted to escort the man to a patrol car, but he sat down and refused to move. “Due to the mountainous terrain, they put the man on a stretcher borrowed from the park management office and carried him about 200 meters to the patrol car,” a police statement said.

Police noted that the man appeared pale and semi-conscious upon being placed in the vehicle. “His handcuffs were removed, and he was immediately taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead approximately 1 1/2 hours later,” the statement added.

Authorities have confirmed that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

By Vafa Guliyeva