Yoichi Hatta: Most wanted fugitive in fatal Beppu hit-and-run may be cross-dressing, speculates ex-detective

TOKYO (TR) – More than two years have passed since a fatal hit-and-run in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture left one university student dead.

Now, a former Tokyo Metropolitan Police detective has offered a theory: Japan’s most wanted fugitive may have undergone plastic surgery or resorted to cross-dressing to evade capture, reports Pinzuba News (Oct. 16).

Fumitaka Kohiruimaki, a 53-year-old former detective and security analyst, detailed his theories in a recent video on his YouTube channel on October 13. He warned the public against fixating on the widely circulated mugshots of 30-year-old Yoichi Hatta , who remains on the run.

“There is a possibility that his face looks completely different now,” Kohiruimaki stated, releasing his own composite images of Hatta with surgically altered features and in women’s clothing.

Kohiruimaki noted that Hatta had a known complex about his eyes and, according to testimony from acquaintances, may have already undergone cosmetic surgery to alter his distinctive eyelids. “Even just changing the eyes alters the entire impression of the face, along with his physique,” the ex-detective explained.

The former detective also speculated that Hatta’s prolonged evasion suggests he is being harbored by a female accomplice in a “co-dependent” relationship. Such a dynamic, he said, is often fueled by a twisted sense of mission, affection, or fear of loneliness. He drew parallels to the case of former Aum Shinrikyo cult executive Makoto Hirata, who was hidden by a devoted female follower for 17 years.

Hatta is currently wanted for murder and attempted murder in connection with the June 2022 incident in Oita Prefecture.

Ramming two motorcycles

According to police, Hatta , then 25, became involved in an altercation with two university students at a commercial facility on June 29, 2022. Roughly five minutes later, he allegedly drove his light vehicle at speeds approaching 100 kilometer per hour, intentionally ramming into the students’ stopped motorcycles.

A 19-year-old male student was killed, and his 20-year-old classmate was injured. Following the crash, Hatta abandoned his vehicle — leaving behind his smartphone and wallet—and vanished into thin air. Initially wanted for traffic violations, his arrest warrants were later upgraded to murder and attempted murder.

The National Police Agency recently extended the deadline for a special investigation reward. Anyone providing information leading to Hatta’s arrest can receive up to 8 million yen, a figure that includes private bounty funds offered by the victims’ families.

Tips regarding Hatta’s whereabouts continue to pour in, with police receiving nearly 14,000 reports to date. Authorities have noted a recent surge in sightings in the Kanto region, jumping from 50 reports in August to 73 in September of this year.

In a bid to catch the elusive fugitive, Oita Prefectural Police are preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide in November. They previously released altered images of Hatta depicting him with blonde hair, brown hair, and sunglasses, urging the public to remain vigilant to any drastic changes in his appearance.

Published in Crime and News

The editorial team at The Tokyo Reporter brings the site's readership the latest news from the under side of Japan.

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东京（TR）——两年多前，大分县别府市发生一起致命的肇事逃逸事故，造成一名大学生死亡。

据 Pinzuba News（10 月 16 日）报道，一名前东京警视厅侦探提出了一种理论：日本头号通缉犯可能接受了整容手术或男扮女装以逃避抓捕。

53岁的前侦探兼安全分析师小比留卷文隆在10月13日发布于其YouTube频道的一段视频中详细阐述了他的理论。他警告公众不要过分关注在逃的30岁嫌犯八田洋一的广泛流传的嫌犯照片。

“他的脸现在可能完全不一样了，”小比留卷说道，并发布了他自己合成的哈塔的照片，照片中哈塔的五官经过手术改变，并且穿着女装。

小比留卷指出，八田对自己的眼睛有自卑情结，据熟人透露，他可能已经做过整容手术来改变他独特的眼睑。“即使只是改变眼睛，也会改变整张脸以及他的体型，”这位前侦探解释道。

这位前侦探还推测，八田的长期逃亡表明他可能被一名女性同伙窝藏，两人之间存在一种“相互依赖”的关系。他表示，这种关系往往是由扭曲的使命感、情感或对孤独的恐惧所驱动的。他将此案与奥姆真理教前领导人平田诚的案例相提并论，平田诚曾被一名虔诚的女信徒藏匿了17年。

八田目前因与 2022 年 6 月大分县发生的事件有关的谋杀和谋杀未遂罪而被通缉。

撞向两辆摩托车

据警方称，2022年6月29日，时年25岁的哈塔在一家商业场所与两名大学生发生争执。大约五分钟后，他驾驶轻型车辆以接近每小时100公里的速度，故意撞向学生们停着的摩托车。

一名19岁的男学生不幸身亡，他20岁的同学受伤。车祸发生后，哈塔弃车逃逸，留下手机和钱包，从此杳无音讯。他最初因违反交通规则被通缉，后来罪名升级为谋杀和谋杀未遂。

日本国家警察厅近日延长了特别调查悬赏的截止日期。任何提供线索协助逮捕八田的人，最高可获得800万日元的悬赏金，其中包括受害者家属提供的私人赏金。

关于八田的下落，线索仍然源源不断，警方迄今已收到近14000条举报。当局注意到，关东地区的目击报告近期激增，从今年8月的50起跃升至9月的73起。

为了抓捕这名行踪诡秘的逃犯，大分县警方准备于11月在全国范围内张贴新的通缉令。此前，警方曾发布过几张经过修改的八田画像，分别展示了他金发、棕发和戴着墨镜的形象，并呼吁公众密切关注他外貌的任何显著变化。

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