A U.S. service member has been detained on suspicion of killing a Japanese national in Okinawa.
Private First Class Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi on Saturday at a hotel in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture, and taking her purse and backpack, local police said. Police said Ballard denied the accusations.
The Marine was stationed at Futenma Airport in Okinawa, police said, adding that he was arrested at 1 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo posted on X on Sunday: “The investigation is ongoing to determine the facts of the case, and the United States is communicating and cooperating with the Japanese government and local authorities.”
NBC News has reached out to the Pentagon for further comment.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the deaths as suspected robbery and murder.
She said on social media: “It is deeply regrettable that such an extremely cruel and heinous incident occurred. As the Japanese government, we have lodged a strong protest with the United States.”
Japan’s Defense Ministry said it was “deeply outraged by the extremely cruel and heinous crimes committed by the U.S. Marine Corps.”
He stated on the X day that he had “resolutely demanded strict discipline and taken thorough measures to prevent it from happening again.”
The Okinawa-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force said it was cooperating with Japanese authorities to respond to “allegations of serious criminal conduct by Marines.”
“The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of conduct,” it posted on X. “The Marine has been detained by local authorities while the investigation is ongoing.”
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said he had spoken with the Japanese Foreign Ministry and Okinawa Governor Genta Kojia and “committed full cooperation as the investigation continues.”
The United States has 18,000 Marines stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa, just 60 miles from the nearest point in Taiwan. The United States controlled the island from the end of World War II until 1972, and its presence often fueled resentment among residents.
In 1995, three U.S. service members kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl, sparking mass protests that brought tens of thousands to the streets and forced Washington and Tokyo to discuss how to reduce the U.S. military presence on the island.