A 20-year-old United States Marine stationed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Japanese woman at a hotel in Naha, police said.

The suspect, identified as Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, is accused of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi and stealing her wallet and backpack.

Ballard, who is stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, has denied the allegations, according to police.

Woman Found Dead in Hotel

Police said Yagi was killed at a hotel in Naha in the early hours of Saturday.

According to Okinawa police, surveillance footage showed a man believed to be Ballard entering the hotel with Yagi and later leaving alone.

A hotel employee reportedly discovered Yagi unconscious after the pair failed to check out as expected. Police said her body was later found in the room.

Japanese media, citing police sources, reported that the woman appeared to have been strangled.

Police later located Ballard walking in an entertainment district in Okinawa and questioned him before taking him into custody.

Japan Protests to US

The arrest has prompted a strong response from the Japanese government.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had lodged a protest with the United States and demanded maximum cooperation with the investigation.

Takaichi described the alleged crime as exceptionally brutal and called for stricter discipline among U.S. military personnel and measures to prevent similar incidents.

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also expressed concern over the case, saying incidents involving U.S. military personnel cause anxiety among local communities.

US Pledges Cooperation

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware that a U.S. service member was in Japanese custody following the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa.

The embassy expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said the United States was communicating and cooperating with Japanese authorities.

The U.S. Marine Corps also confirmed that a Marine assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force was in Japanese custody and said it was cooperating with the investigation.

Okinawa’s Long-Running Tensions With US Military

The incident comes against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Okinawa residents and the large U.S. military presence on the island.

Japan has about 54,000 U.S. military personnel stationed across the country, with a large proportion based in Okinawa. The island hosts a significant share of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Previous crimes and accidents involving U.S. personnel have triggered protests and renewed calls for greater discipline and accountability.

According to reports cited by Japanese media, about 6,000 U.S. military personnel have been arrested in Okinawa since the island was returned to Japanese control in 1972.

The latest case remains under investigation, and Ballard has not been convicted of any offence.