Crime · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard Arrested for Murder and Robbery in Naha, Okinawa
Devin Ballard, 20, U.S. Marine, arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery in Naha. Victim Anna Yagi, 39, found dead in a Naha hotel; robbery of wallet and backpack.
How police arrested the marine.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: japanese vice foreign minister protested by calling US ambassador.
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CNN
“The 20-year-old Marine was arrested less than 24 hours later, at 1am local time, while walking around the city”Read the original ↗
DW
“Police then found a 20-year-old man who matched the description of the suspect seen in the footage and who voluntarily accompanied them to a local police station where he was arrested.”Read the original ↗
CNN adds an arrest-location detail while DW describes a voluntary walk to police, shifting how the detention is perceived.
Ballard arrested in Naha
A 20-year-old U.S. Marine, Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery after a Japanese woman’s body was discovered in a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, prompting Japanese officials to lodge a protest with the United States.
Japanese minister of defense Shinjiro Koizumi said the Marine was arrested on Sunday after the woman’s body was found early on Saturday in Naha, the capital city of the Okinawa prefecture.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Okinawa Prefectural Police were investigating the incident as a murder, and she called it “The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and heinous incident is a matter of profound regret.”
Police told CNN that based on the condition of the woman’s body, she appeared to have been murdered, and Okinawa police said a 39-year-old woman was found unresponsive in her hotel room in Naha and pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday.C
The U.S. Marine Corps said it was “actively cooperating with Japanese authorities in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force,” and it extended condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
Protests and statements
Japan’s prime minister registered a protest with the United States after the arrest, and Sanae Takaichi said the government had “lodged a strong protest with the U.S. side.”
The Japanese government also called for “the fullest possible cooperation with the investigation, thorough discipline among U.S. military personnel, and comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of crimes and accidents,” according to Sanae Takaichi’s statement carried by CNN.C
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware of the incident and extending “our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased,” while the embassy said the United States Government continues to cooperate closely with the Government of Japan and local authorities.
The US Marine Corps said it expected every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior, and it stated the Marine was in Japanese custody while investigations proceed.
George Glass said he had spoken with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Okinawa’s governor, and he pledged full cooperation as the investigation continues.
Okinawa tensions at stake
The arrest threatened to revive tensions over the American military presence in Okinawa, where the U.S. has about 30,000 active-duty U.S. personnel, and the case was described as a potential flashpoint for concerns about the U.S. presence in Japan’s southernmost prefecture.
Reuters said the killing could complicate Sanae Takaichi’s efforts to relocate some Marines from the busy Futenma air base to a more remote facility at Henoko, while opponents want the troops moved out of the prefecture.
Reuters also said Okinawa is 100 km (60 miles) from Taiwan at the closest point and is viewed by Tokyo and Washington as key in deterring potential military aggression from China.
DW reported that Japanese public broadcaster NHK said CCTV footage showed a foreign man entering a hotel room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings, and police then found a 20-year-old man who matched the description and who voluntarily accompanied them to a local police station where he was arrested.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said the United States was communicating and cooperating with the Government of Japan and local authorities as an investigation is underway to determine the facts of the case.