VENTURA : Home of Slain Man’s Son Is Searched

Ventura County sheriff’s detectives on Thursday searched the Ventura home of a Japanese stabbing victim’s son, but found nothing that would help identify a suspect in the case, Lt. Joseph Harwell said.

Harwell said two detectives spent about two hours searching the home of Toshiyuki Kato, son and business partner of real estate developer Yasuo Kato. The elder Kato was found dead of two stab wounds to the heart in the garage of his Camarillo home on Feb. 24.

Harwell would not disclose what detectives looked for and seized in the search, saying that it might compromise the investigation. Toshiyuki Kato said he did not know what was taken because he was not at home during the search.

Harwell said sheriff’s detectives have neither singled out Toshiyuki Kato nor ruled out anyone as a suspect in the slaying.

“He was fully cooperative with the search,” Harwell said. “We talked to him this morning and the search was done midday.”

Harwell said the Sheriff’s Department cannot rule out the possibility of another search of the younger Kato’s home.

Meanwhile, FBI agents in Tokyo said they are continuing to cooperate with Japanese authorities, who are interviewing Kato’s friends, relatives and business associates there.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Japan National Police Agency are involved in the investigation in Tokyo, said Agent Jim Moynihan, a special attache to the U.S. Embassy there.

Harwell, however, said, “So far, we haven’t received anything from them that has shed any light on who the culprit might be.”