YAMAGUCHI (TR) – A male non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps is under investigation for allegedly stealing a vehicle from a woman in Iwakuni City while intoxicated earlier this month and crashing it in a parking lot, it has been learned.
According to the Iwakuni Police Station, an official announcement on the case has not been made yet since it “is under investigation.” However, the female victim came forward to the Mainichi Shimbun (June 15), telling the paper that she “hopes that [such an incident] does not come about a second time.”
At around 11:00 p.m. on June 7, the Gunnery Sergeant, stationed at the Maritime Self-Defense Force Iwakuni Air Station, allegedly stole the vehicle from the woman, who is employed on the base, after she left the key in the ignition while she stepped inside a convenience store in the Asahimachi area.
Thereafter, the Gunnery Sergeant crashed the car into two other vehicles inside a residential parking lot located about one kilometer from the convenience store.
Officers arriving at the scene took the Gunnery Sergeant in for voluntary questioning. An alcohol breath analysis given to him gave a result that was four times the standard value, police said.
The Gunnery Sergeant apologized to the woman on June 11, police said.
“We are aware of the incident and take all allegations of misconduct seriously,” said a representative of III Marine Expeditionary Force. “We are working closely with local authorities and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time due to the ongoing investigation.”