A 32-year-old American tourist has been arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of arson and attempted murder in connection with a fire that broke out at a hotel last month, according to Japanese and U.S. military media reports.
The fire broke out in the pre-dawn hours of August 15 at Hamby Resort in the Chatan neighborhood of Okinawa City, a hotel located a few blocks from the coastline and near U.S. Marine Corps Camp Foster. The property, which consists of trailer-style bungalows, was housing 19 guests at the time, close to full capacity during Japan’s busy Obon holiday period.
No one died in the fire, but one guest, a 55-year-old man from Osaka, lost consciousness from smoke inhalation. He was rescued by police officers and a U.S. Marine, identified as Marshall Martinez, who reportedly spotted the fire and volunteered to help. The man remains hospitalized in Okinawa.
Six days after the fire, on August 21, the American tourist, identified as Posedion Roberson, was arrested for trespassing after he was found sleeping inside a building complex in the city of Urasoe, roughly half an hour south of Chatan. Investigators determined that Roberson had also booked a room at Hamby Resort on the night of the fire but disappeared following the incident. Authorities came to believe he was responsible for the blaze.
On September 1, Roberson was rearrested, this time on charges of arson and attempted murder. He is currently in police custody in connection with those charges.
Under Japanese law, arson charges generally apply to the intentional setting of a fire that damages property, while attempted murder charges apply when a person is accused of taking action intended to kill another person, even if the person survives. Both are considered serious felony offenses in Japan and can carry lengthy prison sentences upon conviction.
Roberson has been charged but not convicted, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a Japanese court.
The case comes amid what has been described as a rise in high-profile crimes committed by foreign tourists in Japan over the past year, including incidents of vandalism, assault and theft. The investigation into the Chatan hotel fire remains ongoing.
Source: SoraNews24
