A Japanese high school student has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder his uncle by lacing his miso soup with extracts from a deadly oleander plant.
Oleander is highly poisonous to humans and animals, with all parts of the plant — leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit — containing lethal toxins.
Police said the 18-year-old from Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, allegedly tried to kill his uncle around midday on July 17 by chopping up oleander leaves and mixing them into the miso soup. The uncle reportedly detected an unusual taste and spat it out, avoiding a fatal dose. He was treated at a hospital and suffered only minor symptoms.
According to Nippon TV, the teen told investigators he wanted to kill his uncle because he was frustrated by his loud snoring.
Oleander, an evergreen shrub with red or white flowers, is often planted along roadsides and in gardens in Japan but is highly toxic.
About six hours after the poisoning attempt, the same teenager was arrested at JR Chiba Station for allegedly attacking two women with a hammer in a restroom. Police said the victims, in their 40s and 50s, were struck on their shoulders but were not seriously injured. The suspect reportedly admitted he wanted to target a weaker woman “—anyone would do—” and harm them.
Police are continuing to investigate the sequence of events, and prosecutors are considering formal attempted murder charges against the teenager, who remains in custody.
