THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 20, 2025 at 15:59 JST
The Kanagawa prefectural police headquarters in Yokohama (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A man arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and assaulting a store clerk in Kanagawa Prefecture last month is believed to be a U.S. military deserter, according to investigative sources.
Kanagawa prefectural police arrested Scott Andrew Smith, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen living in Isehara in the prefecture, on Feb. 17 on suspicion of theft and assault.
He is accused of stealing a snack priced at 235 yen ($1.56) from a convenience store in January and punching a male store clerk who pursued him.
After his arrest, Smith told investigators that he came to Japan on a vacation and chose to stay.
Investigators believe he had been living in Japan for an extended period.
In December last year, Camp Fuji, a U.S. Marine Corps base in Shizuoka Prefecture, asked Kanagawa prefectural police to arrest the suspect on suspicion of deserting from an overseas military base.
A representative from Camp Fuji commented, “We are aware of the individual in custody and are working closely with local authorities to investigate the details of the situation.”
(This article was written by Shuhei Nakajima and Junji Murakami.)
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