American tourist accused of setting Okinawa hotel fire where Marine helped rescue guests

CHATAN, Okinawa — Japanese police allege an American tourist set fire to an Okinawa hotel last month intending to kill the 18 other guests inside, including a man later rescued with the help of a U.S. Marine.

Okinawan Prefectural Police arrested Posedion Alexzander Roberson, 32, on suspicion of arson and attempted murder Tuesday in connection with the Aug. 15 fire that partially destroyed Hotel Hamby Resort in Chatan, police spokesmen said Wednesday.

Roberson, whose address was unknown, was staying at the hotel and deliberately started the fire intending to kill other guests, a spokesman for the police investigation division said by phone.

Police arrested Roberson at 3:54 p.m. Tuesday at Urasoe Police Station, another police spokesman said.

He was already in custody following his Aug. 21 arrest on suspicion of breaking into a building complex in Urasoe city’s Toyama district earlier that morning. Police referred that case to prosecutors the following day.

Police expect to refer the arson and attempted murder case to the Naha Public Prosecutors Office on Thursday, the investigation division spokesman said. He declined to say where Roberson is being held.

Japanese authorities have not publicly described a motive beyond alleging that Roberson intended to kill the hotel guests.

Marine Lance Cpl. Marshall Martinez, 25, of Fillmore, Calif., ran into the burning hotel that morning to alert sleeping occupants and later assisted police in efforts to reach an unconscious 55-year-old man trapped inside.

“I saw people evacuating [but] there’s probably still people in there sleeping,” he told Stars and Stripes in an Aug. 21 interview. “I went in there banging on doors, yelling ‘fire, fire, fire!’”

The 55-year-old man, from Osaka prefecture, was rescued and remains hospitalized on Okinawa, the investigation division spokesman said Wednesday. Police declined to identify the hospital.

Martinez, a combat engineer with III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, is being recommended for the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his actions, III MEF spokesman 1st Lt. Tyler Thomas said by email Wednesday.

A date for the medal presentation has not been set, he said.

Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.