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TOKYO: Japanese police on Tuesday said they had arrested the only suspect in the killing of 22-year-old British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker, more than two years after her murder.
Hawker, an English-language teacher, was found dead in a sand-filled bathtub on the balcony of an apartment near Tokyo in March 2007 and police have long sought Tatsuya Ichihashi, 30, who lived there, as the only suspect.
Police last week said Ichihashi had undergone plastic surgery to his eyelids and nose, had a facial mole removed and grown a beard, in an effort to alter his appearance, while releasing post-operation photos of the man.
Ichihashi was caught after a witness tip-off at an Osaka ferry terminal as he tried to catch a ship to southern Okinawa island to evade the dragnet of police closing in on him, reports said.
"He was wearing a hat, a pair of sunglasses and a face mask. He looked obviously suspicious," a witness told public broadcaster NHK. Many Japanese wear surgical face masks against the spread of flu and other diseases.
Television footage later showed police lead Ichihashi, his head obscured with a black cloth, through a riotous media throng, before officers put him on a Shinkansen bullet train for transfer to Tokyo.
The victim's father, Bill Hawker, thanked Japan's police and media for helping catch the suspect, who was charged with abandoning a body.
"I feel absolutely shocked, and I feel ... the agony is finally over," he told Tokyo Broadcasting System TV by telephone. "I very much look forward to seeing Ichihashi in a court room. My nightmare is finally over."
Hawker's family have repeatedly visited Japan and voiced frustration at police for failing to catch the suspect, who they said escaped police by running barefoot from his apartment.
Police later raised a cash reward for information leading to his arrest to more than 100,000 dollars. Pre-surgery pictures of Ichihashi have long been plastered across Japanese police and train stations.
"Lindsay Ann Hawker was a care-free 22-year-old following her dream of teaching English in Japan when she was brutally murdered," her family say on their website.
"Lindsay had a fantastic future ahead of her, she was kind, beautiful and she touched everyone who met her."
A British Foreign Office spokeswomen said: "We are glad and relieved that the only suspect in this case, Tatsuya Ichihashi, has been found and is now in police custody.
"We are grateful to the Japanese police for their efforts and we remain in close contact with the Hawker family."
Japan has eagerly followed news of the manhunt, and a woman identified as Ichihashi's mother earlier Tuesday made an emotional appeal to her son to turn himself in, speaking on the private Fuji television network.
"It's mum, Tatsuya," said the woman in an audio message. "Dad and mum have decided to speak about our feelings, although we know you won't like this."
She said the parents had felt happy when they heard their son had been working diligently and had told colleagues at an Osaka construction site where he worked until last month that he wanted to be good to his parents.
"If so, please go to Gyotoku police station and tell them the truth. Please," the woman said in a sobbing voice, referring to the police station near the murder site that was in charge of the case.
After the arrest, Ichihashi's father told NHK: "We are relieved. It was just so painful for Lindsay, Lindsay's family and for us, too.
"I want him to make clear the details of the case. He should be brought to justice, which is certain. I want him to make reparations for his crime." - AFP/de
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