Summary Richard Lawton, 24, is suspected of having entered a home in Yokosuka early Sunday.
TOKYO: Japanese police have arrested a US sailor for alleged trespassing near Tokyo during a nighttime curfew imposed after recent crimes linked to American servicemen.
Kanagawa police said Richard Lawton, 24, is suspected of having entered a home near his base in Yokosuka early Sunday. Lawton, a petty officer 2nd class, reportedly was drunk when arrested after a resident called police.
Since an alleged rape of a woman on the southern island of Okinawa by two sailors in October, an 11pm to 5am curfew has been in place for all US servicemen in Japan, banning off-base alcohol purchase or consumption.
Several American servicemen have been arrested since, raising questions over the effectiveness of the curfew. Japan hosts about 50,000 American servicemen, mostly on Okinawa, under a bilateral security alliance.
