U.S. Marine faces arrest in Okinawa woman’s death

A U.S. Marine has been arrested on suspicion of killing a Japanese woman at a hotel in Okinawa and stealing her belongings. Japan has lodged a strong protest with the United States, while U.S. officials say they are cooperating with the investigation.

Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha on Saturday and taking her wallet and backpack, local police told Reuters, according to NBC News. Ballard denies the allegations, police said. NBC News reported that he was stationed at Futenma Air Station and was arrested at 1 a.m. Sunday local time.

NHK and other Japanese outlets, citing investigative sources, reported that security camera footage showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings, according to CBS News. Police found a man matching the description and asked him to accompany them voluntarily to a station, where he was arrested, NHK reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the case as an alleged robbery and murder. “The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and heinous incident is a matter of profound regret, and as the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the U.S. side,” she said on social media, according to NBC News. CBS News reported that Takaichi urged U.S. authorities to cooperate fully with the investigation, tighten discipline among military personnel and take steps to prevent similar cases.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was communicating and cooperating with Japanese authorities. “We extend our sincere condolences to the victim’s family,” it said. U.S. Ambassador George Glass said he had spoken with Japan’s foreign ministry and Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja, offering condolences and pledging full cooperation.

The Marine Corps said Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa. “The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior,” it said. In a separate statement reported by NBC News, the III Marine Expeditionary Force said the Marine was in the custody of local authorities while investigations proceed.

Koja said the case “deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to U.S. bases,” according to the Associated Press, as cited by CBS News. Yagi’s brother said through local police that the family was “deeply saddened” and that their parents were “utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter,” according to the Asahi Shimbun, as cited by CBS News.

The arrest renews attention on crimes involving U.S. personnel in Okinawa. About 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa, CBS News reported. The outlet said prefectural police recorded more than 100 arrests involving U.S. service members and their families last year. NBC News noted that the 1995 abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen sparked mass protests on the island.