2 U.S. Marines arrested for attacking taxi driver in Hiroshima

(Mainichi Japan) November 16, 2009

HIROSHIMA -- Two U.S. Marines were arrested on Sunday for allegedly attacking a taxi driver in downtown Hiroshima, police said.

Bradley Arthur Gutierrez, 21, and Ilene Renae Garcia, 20, both belonging to the Marine Corps Air Station in the Yamaguchi Prefecture city of Iwakuni, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of destruction of property and assault, and destruction of property, respectively, according to police.

Garcia is suspected of kicking the door of a taxi parked on a street in Hiroshima's Naka Ward at around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday. The 58-year-old male driver immediately got out of the taxi and called police using his mobile phone. Gutierrez is believed to have pushed the driver to the ground after grabbing the phone away from him.

The two suspects, who reportedly dined at a nearby restaurant right before the incident, have basically admitted to the allegations, police said. Alcohol was not reportedly detected on their breath.

The driver suffered minor injuries including a neck sprain. Police sent both suspects to the public prosecutors office on Monday morning after upgrading the charges against Gutierrez from assault to bodily harm.