A 49-year-old woman from Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, has been arrested for allegedly sewing her roommate¡¯s lips together, according to media reports.

Masae Sakurai was arrested on Monday on suspicion of injuring her 42-year-old roommate by sewing her lips shut on June 29 using a needle and a thread at their home, NHK reported, citing police.

The police said the incident came to light after the victim fled the house on June 30 and ran into a nearby store, showing a piece of paper with a message seeking help, as she had difficulty speaking due to the injury, the report said.

The woman reportedly told police that she couldn¡¯t run away immediately because she was afraid of Sakurai, according to the report.

The two women are believed to have been living together since April last year. The victim escaped when Sakurai was out.

Police are investigating the relationship between the two and how the incident occurred.

Sakurai¡¯s acquaintances told TV Asahi that they heard she had been letting people who ran away from their homes live in her house and had been helping them find?jobs, suggesting the possibility of many people staying at her house at different times.