2 U.S. Marines nabbed for breaking into restaurant in Okinawa

Thursday 08th May, 03:44 PM JST

NAHA —

Japanese police arrested two U.S. Marines on Thursday on suspicion of trespassing in a restaurant after business hours in Okinawa. Corporal Andrew Jones, 23, and Lance Corporal Christian Pons, 20, of the Marine Corps Futemma Air Station were drunk when they were arrested and both of them deny the allegation, police said.

The two are also suspected of violating the curfew imposed on all U.S. military personnel in the prefecture following the alleged rape of a local junior high school girl in February. According to the investigation, the two suspects broke into the establishment in Ginowan by breaking the locked door around 12:30 a.m. Thursday near the Futemma base after the manager and others had left after closing for the day. The manager, a 61-year-old woman, who returned after about half an hour saw the suspects in her restaurant and called police.

Latest 15 of 38 Total Comments Show All

milbrat at 06:19 AM JST - 9th May

It's about time Marines have curfew on Okinawa. I haven't lived there since 1987 and it was bad then. Marines where rapping women, getting into fights and using pipe bombs at clubs then. When I was 12 my friend and I were helping out at the Special Olympics and we were walking by the gym and a Marine pulled his pants down and grabbed my friend. Luckily we were able to get away and went to the police. Because he was on a Military base of foreign soil, he had to serve time in the Okinawa jail and then at Levenworth. Young Marines have a bad attitude but what can we expect when they are trained to kill.
Badsey at 06:54 AM JST - 9th May

amazing what people will do to get a beef bowl.

!curfew on!
rtrhead1 at 08:04 AM JST - 9th May

Do you seriously think they will or should be kicked out for this? You are sorely mistaken. As for the numbers, okay, you want to say how many crimes we have vs them, as much as I hate playing that game, get me the numbers of how many Marines, airmen, sailors and army are running around. I guarantee that we outnumber them by a large margin. So, again, your numbers don't mean squat. And once again, you lump all Marines together. Our numbers are miniscule compared to the numbers of the general public in the same demographic. No, banning alcohol isn't the answer. Then they'll just be gettin in trouble for having alcohol. And no, periods of reflections, stern talking to's or anything else are going to stop everything completely. Does it work on the Japanese to stop crime? They have some pretty tough laws you know. When will you people start accepting us as human and stop pretending that we (military, americans, hell, foreigners) will ever be perfect? These 2 will lose rank, half their pay for 2 months, and will probably be restricted for 45 days or so.
thundercat at 09:02 AM JST - 9th May

sailwind

Here's a novel idea. If you don't want to be arrested for j-walking, don't j-walk. Don't want to be arrested for trespassing, don't trespass. Don't want to be arrested for rape, don't rape. If you don't commit any of these crimes, however trivial you think them to be, you guys won't be making the evening news. Only part of the 'problem' is the Japanese media... the real problem is that you guys can't stay out of trouble and continue to break laws inspite of, not because of, media scrutiny.
lipscombe at 10:09 AM JST - 9th May

more tomfoolery by those cheeky marine scamps
TheguyNextdoor at 11:16 AM JST - 9th May

Thudercat-

Ok, I'm in agreement with you in saying dont tresspass...etc...etc., but foryou to say "the real problem is that you guys can't stay out of trouble and continue to break laws inspite of", come on man seriously. "you guys", what is that? You pretty much said that we are all the same, is that fair to say? I've been living her for the past 9yrs, 8 of which i served in the service and now I'm here working with visa. There is a percentage of individuals who are involved in these crimes, and for you to say that the real problem is us (you guys) is &$^%. Are you a local!? How would you feel if I said all the japanese here are mentally unstable, thats why most commit their crimes prior to the 20's so they can be sentenced and let go down the road for murder....rape, molestation, etc.... I wouldn't, those are individuals, so the next time you want to make a statement, get some numbers and write them down, compare them to the local population and then write your words down before you comment. thanks I'm out!!
thundercat at 11:38 AM JST - 9th May

By 'you guys' I ment, the ones committing the crimes and the ones defending the crimes. While I hope that doesn't include you, and I know that doesn't include every Marine, my comment was directed towards Sailwind who happens to fall into my definition of 'you guys'. Sorry if I offended... I dislike sweeping generalizations and wasn't intending to make one. I respect people who try hard and do their jobs with honor and dignity. I dislike those who try to mitigate crimes by placing the blame where it doesn't belong...
TheguyNextdoor at 12:16 PM JST - 9th May

Ok (^_^)v
sailwind at 12:47 PM JST - 9th May

Sailwind who happens to fall into my definition of 'you guys'.

Just because I happen to point out that a zero crime rate isn't based on reality and to expect that is unrealistic, and that every single incident no matter how minor get's reported in the J-media when it involves some yahoo in the service that does something stupid, does not make me a 'you guys'. I served my country for twenty years and I have the Honorable discharge to prove it.

Thanks and no disrespect toward intended by this post. But I prefer also that you don't lump me in the 'you guys' catagory either, I know how to behave myself as 99 percent of my Military brethen know how to also in japan.
CMEANDU26 at 12:54 PM JST - 9th May

Did they commit a crime? I mean we have her side of the story but how do we know that she didn't see two drunk Marines and make an accuation? We don't know what happened. But if we only get her side of the story of what she told the police then they are guilty.

GET BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY before we start pointing fingers.
Loki520 at 11:45 PM JST - 9th May

Vox,

I'm not gonna worry about the local crime issue. This is their country and they can carry it to hell in a handbasket if they want. But we, and yes I am one of them, are AMBASSADOR's of the US to this country. It's NOT a cliche. We are professional warriors, and we should damn well be expected to behave like it.

Everytime a military member commits a crime, we go thru the "here THEY go again" rants from those who would use any excuse to point out flaws. I, for one, am tired of it.

You'll notice that in the past, and it still applies, that I am one of the ones that will get on JT and point on the minimal percentage of overall military members who misbehave in Japan. I believe it, and it is true.

But let's face facts. Okinawa, and Yokosuka, have gone thru a spurt of quite negative news lately. Alleged rape, murder of a taxi-driver, teens robbing taxi's with an MP assist, so forth and so on. The message has been beat into their bloody heads by now and some STILL don't get it. Their behavior not only AFFECTS each one of us, it REFLECTS bad on all of us.
Loki520 at 11:53 PM JST - 9th May

GET BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY before we start pointing fingers.

No. They are guilty of violating the curfew, which is a legal order. Hammer them for that.
OssanULTRA at 03:56 AM JST - 10th May

"Look, as much as I've been against US military in the past, and am against certain wars, etc., the collective attempts to identify ANYTHING the military personnel do as a crime is going WAY above and beyond. If only the Japanese looked in the mirror..."

Smith...if the two idiots were Japanese and the owner lady returned to find them after breaking and entering into the place, are you saying that she would NOT HAVE CALLED the police? And that the only reason she did so was because they were US military? I think that most rational folks would find that rather hard to believe.
Jubilee at 06:44 AM JST - 10th May

For all you people out there who like to self-righteously call names and judge others, the guys were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is absolutely ALL YOU know at this point.
thundercat at 11:43 AM JST - 12th May

jubilee...

Wrong place at the wrong time? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I guess you could say that for any crime!