Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested three 20-year-old U.S. Navy sailors in Yokosuka on suspicion of beating up a taxi driver and stealing 8,000 yen, police officials said Thursday.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Erskin Reese and seamen Jason Smith and Joel Lopez allegedly stole a bag of cash from Nobuyoshi Kabuta, 46, around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday as they got out of his taxi in Yokosuka. When Kabuta tried to get the bag back, the suspects hit him in the face and fled, the officials said, adding that Kabuta suffered minor injuries.

The suspects are crew members of the 81,123-ton U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, which has been based at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka since 1998.