US Marine's arrest in a killing on Okinawa triggers outrage

The arrest of a US Marine who allegedly robbed and killed a 39-year-old local woman on Okinawa has sparked renewed protests against the heavy American military presence on the southern island.

Okinawa prefectural police said they arrested Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi at a hotel in the island's capital city of Naha early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack. The marine has denied the allegations, according to Japanese media.

The alleged killing could complicate Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to strengthen Japanese military defense on the island and to work more closely with the US military.

Okinawa was under US occupation from World War II until 1972. Today it hosts 70% of America's military facilities and most of the 50,000 US troops based in Japan today.

There has been anger over increasing crime linked to the US military on the island as relevant crime cases have risen to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020, according to prefectural police.