Japanese police obtain arrest warrant for anime studio arson suspect

Japanese police on Saturday obtained arrest warrant for the man who was apprehended over a deadly arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Shinji Aoba, 41, was taken to a hospital in Kyoto after allegedly setting fire to the three-storey studio building with gasoline, which killed 34 people.

An aerial photo shows officials conduct an investigation at the arson site of Kyoto Animation Co., Ltd. (so-called Kyoani) in Kyoto on July 20, 2019, two days after the case. [Photo: IC/the Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images]

According to investigative sources, police have already obtained arrest warrant for Aoba and are waiting for him to recover from the serious burns he suffered before arresting him.

He was transferred to a hospital in Osaka Prefecture by helicopter earlier on Saturday to receive better medical treatment, police said.

The police believe Aoba carried gasoline in two 20-liter cans to the studio on a cart and used about 10 liters to set the fire, the sources said. They have found the containers with gasoline remaining inside near the site.

While his motive is unclear at the moment, he was quoted as telling the police that he set the fire because the company "stole a novel," claiming his ideas had been plagiarized.