CHATAN, Okinawa — An airman assigned to Kadena Air Base is jailed, accused by police of stealing about $17,000 of equipment from a Mihama tattoo parlor owned by a woman police said was his girlfriend.
The airman also is accused of taking, then releasing, the woman’s pet American cocker spaniel, an Okinawa police spokesman said.
The spokesman said Sgt. Jamieo Carter, 31, was being held in an Okinawa jail Monday on suspicion of burglary and theft. The spokesman said Carter is suspected of forcing open the back door of the tattoo parlor and stealing 1,642 items worth about 1.8 million yen ($17,000), including the dog and a fax machine.
An Air Force public affairs spokeswoman confirmed Carter’s name but would not confirm the airman’s unit assignment.
The police spokesman said the incident, which occurred early Thursday morning, appeared to be the result of a squabble between Carter and his girlfriend, who owns the business. The store owner reported the burglary to police the same day.
On Friday, she received a phone call from an employee of the Ramada Renaissance hotel in Onna that the fax machine and other items had been discovered scattered in bushes near the hotel.
The hotel employee traced the woman from contact information found on some of the items, the police spokesman said.
Later Friday, as the woman was checking the items found near the hotel, a person subsequently identified as Carter was seen nearby, the police spokesman said.
The shop owner identified Carter, who admitted he stole the woman’s property, the police spokesman said. The airman was asked to report to the Okinawa City police station, where he was arrested at 9:15 p.m.
Police sent the case, accusing Carter of burglary and theft, to the Naha Public Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday.
The cocker spaniel, which is named Camel and which Carter told police had been released near the hotel, remained missing Monday, the police spokesman said.
