Mayu Tomita fighting for her life after being stabbed 20 times by a fan furious that she’d refused his gift
The star, 20, is yet to regain consciousness after she was stabbed in the neck, back and chest at an event
WE OFTEN like to idealise and glamorise the celebrity world, but one Japanese pop star’s terrifying ordeal proves it can be the complete opposite.
Mayu Tomita, 20, is yet to regain consciousness after she was stabbed nearly two dozen times in the neck, back and chest at an event.
Police found her around 5pm on Saturday, after responding to a call from a witness. The singer was unconscious and covered in blood. A blood-stained folding knife with an 8.2cm blade was found at the scene.
According to local media reports, police have confirmed 27-year-old Tomohiro Iwazaki confessed to the crime at the scene, and was arrested after witnesses said he attacked the star.
A restaurant owner in the building said a trail of blood and a bloodstained mask were found on the stairs leading to the concert room.
The Japan Times reports Tomita was scheduled to perform at the event before she was attacked, in a building near Musashi-Koganei Station in western Toyko.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Ms Tomita had told them earlier that month that a man had been stalking her.
She got in touch with police after he was sending her persistent messages via Twitter, and through her blog.
According to police quotes, he lashed out at her after she returned a gift he had sent her earlier, with no explanation.
“I ambushed her at the station and asked her (about the gift). I lost my temper and stabbed her many times because she didn’t clearly answer,” Iwakazi was quoted as saying.
This is not a lone incident. In 2014, two teenage members of the Japanese girl group AKB48 were attacked by a 24-year-old man wielding a saw, prompting the group to cancel its fan meet-and-greet event.
The suspect was given a sentence of six years in prison.