Three Marines held in alleged mugging

Pacific Briefs: Three Marines held in alleged mugging
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, December 17, 2008

OKINAWA CITY — Three Marines were being questioned by Okinawa police Monday in connection with a reported mugging in the Misato district of Okinawa City, near Kadena Air Base.

An Okinawa police spokesman said the three men, whose names were not released, assaulted a 22-year-old Okinawa man at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday in a parking lot and snatched a credit card and a pack of cigarettes from him before fleeing in a car.

The man told police that earlier in the morning he found a "Y-plate" car parked in his leased space and parked his car behind it, blocking it in. When he returned about an hour later the three Americans, who appeared upset, attacked him, police said.

He told police that one of the men punched him in the nose, the spokesman said.

The police spokesman said the men, who were tracked down Sunday based on the license plate, admitted hitting the man but denied robbing him.

Marine officials would not comment on the incident.
Marine suspected in trespassing incident

CHATAN, Okinawa — A 24-year-old Marine officer was in Okinawa police custody Monday on suspicion of trespassing, according to Japanese police.

A police spokesman said 2nd Lt. Christopher Bloom, assigned to Camp Hansen, allegedly tried to enter an apartment on the second floor of a building in the Hamagawa district of the town at 5:23 a.m. Saturday.

According to the police report, a neighbor said an American spent several minutes trying to open the locked door of an apartment of a 47-year-old Okinawa man. When police arrived about 10 minutes later he was still trying to gain access.

Police said Bloom appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Witnesses told police they saw Bloom earlier climbing to the top of an adjoining apartment building and jumping onto the roof of the building he tried to enter, the spokesman said.

Marine officials would not confirm the officer’s name or unit, but said they were cooperating with local police.

On Sunday, police filed a charge of trespassing against Bloom with the Naha District Public Prosecutor’s office, the spokesman said.
Okinawa man reports stray shot struck car

KIN, Okinawa — Okinawa police are investigating a claim by a man living in the Igei district of Kin that his car was struck by a stray round from a Camp Hansen firing range.

The man told police he recovered a bullet from the license plate of his car Saturday night and believed it may have originated from the nearby Marine base during training Wednesday.

A police spokesman said the bullet appeared to have come from a rifle.

Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Adrian Rankine-Galloway Monday said the Marines are cooperating with the investigation.

"It would be inappropriate to speculate on the origin of the projectile or any additional information until the investigation is properly and thoroughly completed," he said in a written response to a Stars and Stripes query.

Ellie