A U.S. sailor was arrested on suspicion of robbing a woman in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, police said Sunday, only weeks after another sailor was arrested on charges of fatally beating and robbing a woman in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The 23-year-old crew member from the USS Essex, based at the U.S. naval base in Sasebo, is suspected of snatching a bag from a woman in the city at about 11:20 p.m. Saturday, according to a local police officer who gave only his last name, Sasaki.
Police arrested the sailor shortly after midnight Sunday elsewhere in Sasebo, based on a physical description from the victim, Sasaki said. The suspect admitted to the robbery, telling investigators he later threw the bag away, according to Sasaki.
There was no cash in the stolen bag. The woman tripped when she chased her robber but was unhurt, according to Sasaki.
The suspect was to remain in a police station for further questioning, Sasaki said.
There are about 5,600 U.S. military personnel at the Sasebo base.