A U.S. Navy sailor told a Japanese court on May 7, 2025, that he made an illegal turn near Yokosuka Naval Base on Sept. 18, 2024, causing a fatal collision. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA, Japan — A U.S. Navy sailor received a suspended sentence Tuesday for a traffic accident that killed a Japanese motorcyclist near Yokosuka Naval Base last year.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaden Edwin Llanos, 22, assigned to the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge, was sentenced by the Yokohama District Court’s Yokosuka branch to 1 ½ years in prison without hard labor. The sentence was suspended for four years, meaning he will not serve time unless he commits another offense during that period.
Llanos pleaded no contest May 27 to negligent driving causing death in the Sept. 18 collision that killed 22-year-old Tsubasa Ito. The sailor admitted to making an illegal right turn at a busy intersection near the base, where his vehicle struck Ito’s motorcycle.
Ito died less than an hour later at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital from heart damage caused by a chest injury, Judge Yasushi Katada said during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Ito’s parents sat quietly through the hearing. His father appeared stoic and his mother cried softly as the judge summarized the case. Llano showed no visible reaction as the sentence was read.
Ito’s parents, speaking to reporters afterward, said they were dissatisfied with the suspended sentence and have asked prosecutors to appeal. Prosecutors and the defense have 14 days to file.
The family said their attorneys also plan to submit a formal request to the U.S. Navy seeking changes to how service members are trained and permitted to drive in Japan.
A spokesman for Naval Forces Japan, Cmdr. Paul Macapagal, acknowledged the ruling in an email Tuesday but declined further comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
During the trial, Llanos testified he had misread signage at the intersection and believed he was permitted to turn. He was driving several passengers to a sushi restaurant when the crash occurred around 6:40 p.m.
“The defendant paid attention to the road signs but did not understand them correctly,” Katada said.
Dashcam and security footage showed that Ito was speeding, but Katada emphasized this did not mitigate Llanos’ responsibility.
“The victim’s driving didn’t reduce the defendant’s negligence,” he said. “I have to say that the defendant’s negligence is dangerous and serious.”
In issuing the suspended sentence, Katada cited Llanos’ lack of a prior record, his apology to the family, and his admission of guilt.
However, he also noted the family’s ongoing grief, Llanos’ limited insurance coverage, and the seriousness of the error.
“This is the judgement rendered to you,” Katada said, as he concluded the hearing.
