20-year-old Marine accused of beating taxi driver

[unhappycamper]

20-year-old Marine accused of beating taxi driver
By Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday January 30, 2008

NAHA, Okinawa — Marine Cpl. Joseph Wayne Riddle, 20, was indicted Monday in Naha District Court on charges he beat and robbed a taxi driver earlier this month in Okinawa City.

The case against Riddle’s alleged 19-year-old accomplice, a private first class, was forwarded to Naha Juvenile Court because he is considered a minor under Japanese law. His name has not been released.

The juvenile court has the option of forwarding his case to the district court, where he would also be tried as an adult.

The Marines, both assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, are accused of attacking a 59-year-old cab driver with a whiskey bottle at about 3:40 a.m. on Jan. 7 in the Mihara district of Okinawa City after refusing to pay a 2,780 yen fare (about $25).

According to Okinawa police, the Marines hailed the cab near a convenience store outside Camp Foster’s Kitamae gate, asking the driver to take them to an entertainment district in Okinawa City. However, the driver became suspicious and stopped the taxi after the two told him to circle around the district for about 20 minutes, police said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52017