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American tourist in Japan arrested on charges of attempted murder and arson

Arrest follows Okinawan hotel fire that took place last month.

Okinawa offers a wide range of activities for travelers to enjoy. It boasts Japan’s finest beaches, perfect for relaxing or marine sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving. The prefecture’s dense jungles offer ample hiking opportunities, and its unique Ryukyu cultural heritage can be experienced both at historical sites such as Shuri Castle and through the many restaurants serving traditional Okinawan cuisine.

Generally not recommended for visitors though? Arson and attempted murder, the activities for which one American tourist has been arrested on charges of.

In the pre-dawn hours of August 15, a fire broke out at Hamby Resort in the Chatan neighborhood of Okinawa City. The hotel, located a few blocks from both the shoreline and United States Marine Corps Camp Foster, had 19 guests staying in its trailer-style bungalows, close to full capacity during the busy Obon vacation period.

▼ Video of the fire

Thankfully, no lives were lost, although one guest, a 55-year-old man from Osaka, lost consciousness from smoke inhalation before being rescued by police and U.S. Marine Marshall Martinez, who saw the fire and volunteered to help. The man remains hospitalized in Okinawa.

Six days after the blaze, Posedion Roberson, a 32-year-old American tourist was arrested for trespassing into and sleeping inside a building complex in the town of Urasoe, roughly half an hour south of Chatan. Roberson, it turns out, had also booked a room at the hotel on the night of the fire, but disappeared after the incident, and investigators now believe he was the person responsible. On September 1, he was rearrested on charges of arson and attempted murder, and is currently in police custody.

▼ The hotel, prior to the fire

There’s been a noticeable uptick in high-profile crimes committed by foreign tourists in Japan over the past year or so, including vandalism, assault, and theft. Attempted mass murder, though, is on a whole other level, and if convicted, Roberson is unlikely to receive much in the way of clemency.

Source: Teleasa News, Okinawa Times, Stars and Stripes
Top image: Pakutaso
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