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Sailor sought for questioning in cab driver stabbing

YOKOHAMA, Japan — U.S. and Japanese authorities searched for a U.S. sailor for questioning Friday in the killing of a Japanese taxi driver near an American naval base, a U.S. military official said. The 61-year-old victim, Masaaki Takahashi of Tokyo, was found Wednesday night in Yokosuka with a kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade stuck deeply in his neck, police said. An autopsy shows he died from blood loss.

“Since the incident happened close to the base, both U.S. Navy and Japanese authorities are interested in talking to a number of persons, including a U.S. sailor, who may have information pertinent to the case,” said Cmdr. David Waterman, spokesman for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan.

Waterman refused to say why the sailor might have information on the case or whether he was a suspect. Kanagawa Prefecture police, where Yokosuka is located, would not comment on whether they had identified a suspect.

Local media reported that the credit card of a crew member of a 7th Fleet warship was found in the taxi and that the sailor had been missing from the base for several weeks. His name has not been released.

Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters that he had information that a U.S. sailor might be connected to the case, but he refused to release any further details. Japanese police also declined to speak about the possible military connection.

Inside Takahashi’s cab, investigators discovered about 60,000 yen ($600) in cash in a bag and tens of thousands of yen in his pockets, according to local media. Kyodo News agency reported police suspect a payment dispute between the driver and his last passenger may have led to the killing.

The case follows a furor over a series of criminal allegations against U.S. troops in Japan, including an alleged rape in February of a 14-year-old girl by a U.S. Marine on Okinawa, as well as an alleged gang rape of a Japanese woman by Marine officers in Iwakuni last year. Both cases were dropped by the Japanese authorities, but the U.S. military is continuing its own investigations of the cases. The outrage prompted U.S. military officials to impose restrictions on service members.