A US Marine stationed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Japanese woman, according to local police.
Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, allegedly killed 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, on Saturday. Police also suspect that he took the woman’s wallet and backpack after the incident. Ballard has denied the allegations.
Japanese media reported that CCTV footage near the hotel showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving while carrying her belongings. Police subsequently identified a 20-year-old man matching the description and asked him to accompany them to a police station, where they arrested him.
The incident has renewed concerns in Okinawa, where crimes and accidents involving US military personnel have previously triggered public protests. Around 54,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan, with a large proportion based in Okinawa.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo had lodged a protest with US authorities and described the incident as exceptionally serious. She called for maximum cooperation with the investigation and stronger measures to prevent similar incidents.
US Ambassador George Glass offered condolences and said Washington would fully cooperate with Japanese authorities. The US Marine Corps also confirmed that Ballard, who is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force and based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was in Japanese custody.
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said incidents involving US military personnel cause significant concern among local residents.
The investigation remains ongoing, while authorities continue examining the circumstances surrounding Yagi’s death and the allegations against the Marine.
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