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Love Live Fan Admits to Stealing Desks, School Equipment
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
A 28-year-old Love Live! fan arrested in October on suspicion of breaking into a high school in Shizuoka city and stealing desks and other school equipment appeared in Shizuoka District Court on Wednesday. The suspect, who is a caretaker for the elderly from Shizuoka prefecture, admitted to the charges.
The suspect told prosecutors that he, "wanted to experience the world of Love Live!" According to the indictment, the man broke into the gym of Shizuoka Senior High School and stole four items, including a school desk. On a later day, he then allegedly broke into the gym of Shizuoka Eiwa Girls' Junior & Senior High School and stole amplifiers and other items.
At the trial, the suspect stated that there was "no doubt" that he committed the crimes. During the opening statements, the prosecution stated that during the suspect's interrogation, the man admitted he was motivated by a desire to relive his time in school. The defense did not contest the charges against the suspect.
Shizuoka Broadcasting System provided a photo and video of school equipment seized from the suspect. The image shows a basketball jersey, stacks of school workbooks, a dark blue uniform, a plastic bag full of tennis balls, an amplifier and two speakers, three trophies, and other items. It isn't clear if all the items were stolen during the two described incidents.
Numazu, Shizuoka is the setting for the Love Live! Sunshine!! anime series. The city has had varying experiences with the series' fans since the anime premiered in 2016. Numazu has a large elderly population and the advent of anime pilgrimages brought swaths of visitors hoping to see the places featured in Love Live! Sunshine!!. The intermingling groups lead to repeated warnings from the anime's staff and city officials to respect residents and private property.
Nonetheless, attempts to market tourism on the anime's popularity have met with mixed results. The city crowdfunded nine manhole covers of the AQOURS idols only for visitors to repeatedly vandalize them. The covers will pulled from the streets and two college students and one high school student were arrested in relation to the vandalism.
Source: Shizuoka Broadcasting System via Yahoo! News
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