With the whereabouts of the 28-year-old still unknown, police are continuing to seek assistance from the public in apprehending him, reports TBS News (Mar. 19).
Through February, Oita Prefectural Police had received 8,996 reports in connection with the whereabouts of the hit-and-run suspect.
Of these, 8,464 reports were reports of sightings of someone resembling Hatta. “I saw a man who looks like Hatta,” one person said.
By region, 3,195 reports were from the Kanto region, followed by 1,105 from Kyushu, 1,107 from Kinki, 556 from Oita Prefecture and 1,712 from other regions.
At the time of the fatal hit-and-run incident, Hatta was an office worker living in the town of Hinode, Oita. In carrying out the crime, Hatta drove his vehicle into two motorcycles stopped at a red light. In addition to killing the university student, the crash injured another.
Thereafter, Hatta did not report the incident or take any first-aid measures. Instead, he ran barefoot from the scene. He was last scene at a yacht harbor about 2 kilometers away.
Police are aware that Hatta had been in trouble with the deceased university student just before the incident.
8 million yen
In September 2023, the National Police Agency designated Hatta as a wanted man. It was the first that a violator of the Road Traffic Act was designated as wanted. The reason was the heinous nature of the incident.
The mother of the deceased student said last year, “Our family is trying to move forward one step at a time, with the help of many people, while struggling and trying to get back on our feet.”
The statute of limitations for this particular crime is approaching, which is also troubling to the family.
“Although we want to change [the designation of the crime], the situation is difficult to change,” the mother said.
The case is eligible for the special investigation reward. In September 2024, the NPA extended the acceptance period for the special investigation reward by one year. This means that a public reward of 3 million yen will be paid to anyone who provides useful information. Including the private reward of 5 million yen from the bereaved family, the maximum amount to be received for information is 8 million yen.
Toru Hatano, the chief of the Oita Prefectural Police, took up his post in February. He said that the entire organization will work hard to resolve the case. “It is an unforgivable crime and one of the prefectural police’s most important issues,” he said.
“Hatta may be hiding near you, disguised as an ordinary person,” said Motonari Yamashita, the deputy chief of the Oita Prefectural Police Traffic Guidance Division. “If you think you’ve seen him, please do not hesitate to report him.”
Persons with information on the case are advised to call the Beppu Police Station at 0977-21-2131.
