Japanese police sent a case of a sailor allegedly breaking a taxi window to the prosecutor’s office Thursday, according to a Yokosuka Police spokesman.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Paul Karns, 28, assigned to the USS Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of destruction of property around 1 a.m. Wednesday. He allegedly punched and broke a rear window of a taxi parked in front of Yokosuka Chuo Station around 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the spokesman said.

The taxi driver was sitting in the taxi at the time of the alleged incident and reported it. Karns left the scene in another taxi, the spokesman said, which police traced before arresting Karns. The spokesman also said Karns had about a 0.10 blood alcohol content when he was tested and that Karns told police the next day that he was drunk and does not remember what happened. Karns remains in Japanese custody.

Navy officials are aware of the incident and are cooperating with the Japanese police investigation, a Navy spokesman said.

The USS Olympia is home-ported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is visiting Yokosuka Naval Base.

Locals react to Camp Zama rumors

A group consisting of Zama city officials and councilors will collect signatures of residents who are opposed to unconfirmed Japanese media reports that the U.S. Army’s I Corps Headquarters may relocate to Camp Zama, a city official said.

They will begin the campaign Monday, collecting signatures at stations, events and through local neighborhoods, the official said. The group plans to submit the signatures to Japan’s foreign minister and defense chief sometime in mid-May.

“This is to give an opportunity for the residents to directly express their opposition and collect signatures [from them] to show that they are opposed,” the official said, adding that the city has been expressing its opposition before the Japanese government.

The city recently announced that it will boycott the annual Bon Odori Festival, which is co-hosted by the city and Camp Zama.

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