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Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballad, 20, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, and stealing her belongings. He denies the allegations.
A US Marine was arrested in Okinawa, Japan, on suspicion of murder and robbery after a woman was found dead in a hotel room, police said.
Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballad Arrested for Murder
Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballad, 20, is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, early Saturday at the Naminoue Crystal Hotel in Naha, a local police spokesperson told Stars and Stripes. Yagi was found unresponsive in her hotel room and pronounced dead at the scene, Okinawa police said. A hotel employee entered the room after the pair failed to check out on time and found the victim unconscious, according to reports.
Police said based on the condition of the woman's body, she appeared to have been murdered. Ballad is assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa. He was detained and questioned by police after he was spotted walking in an Okinawa city nightlife district, and was arrested on Sunday. Police said he denies the allegations.
Security footage allegedly showed a man, believed to be a foreign national with a shaved head, entering the hotel with the woman and later leaving alone, police said. Police allege Ballad stole Yagi's wallet and backpack and killed her sometime between 2:10 a.m. and 4:17 a.m. Saturday.
US Marines Cooperating with Japanese Authorities Investigation
The woman's body was discovered at around 4:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, and the Marine was arrested less than 24 hours later, at 1 a.m. local time, while walking around the city, police said. Police expect to refer the case to the Naha Public Prosecutors Office within 48 hours of his arrest, the Okinawa Prefectural Police spokesperson told Stars and Stripes later Sunday. Ballad remained in custody.
The US Marine Corps is actively cooperating with Japanese authorities in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force, spokesman 1st Lt. Tyler Thomas said in an email to Stars and Stripes. The US Embassy in Tokyo said on X it was aware that a US service member is in custody following the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa.
As an investigation is underway to determine the facts of the case, the United States is communicating and cooperating with the Government of Japan and local authorities, the embassy wrote. We extend our sincere condolences to the victim's family. CNN has contacted the Pentagon and the US Marine Corps for comment. Police said an investigation is ongoing. CNN's Aleena Fayaz and Bruna Horvath contributed to this report.
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nypost:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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