A man named Takumi Ouchi tracked down and killed 31-year-old pregnant Haruki Komatsumoto using a GPS device concealed in a plush toy. The crime occurred on December 31, 2024.
According to police reports, the two had been dating for less than a year before breaking up in 2024. Ouchi allegedly harassed Komatsumoto through repeated phone calls and messages as he attempted to rekindle their relationship. After she blocked his communications, he sent her an anonymous package containing a plush toy with a message claiming it was a lottery win from an amusement park.
Komatsumoto took the toy home without suspicion. Ouchi embedded a GPS tracker inside it, enabling him to locate her precisely. Days before her death, he reportedly beat Komatsumoto and then stabbed her. She was found with bruises on her arms, indicating she had been trying to protect their unborn child.
Ouchi was detained by Ibaraki Prefecture police on January 21, 2025, and denied all charges.
Japan’s National Police reported a sharp rise in GPS harassment incidents, increasing from three cases in 2021 to 592 in 2025. Information technology expert Akiko Takahashi noted the difficulty of detecting hidden GPS trackers but recommended enabling Bluetooth and tracking notifications on smartphones to identify such devices.
