A US Marine has been arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of killing a Japanese woman, drawing a strong protest from Tokyo. Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was arrested on Sunday. Police allege he killed Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel room in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, in the early hours of October 3, and took her wallet and backpack. Ballard has denied the allegations. A hotel employee found Yagi’s body after the pair failed to check out on time. Cameras showed Yagi entering the Naminoue Crystal Hotel with Ballard, who later left alone. Police expect to send the case to prosecutors within 48 hours. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the incident ‘extremely brutal and heinous’ and said Japan had lodged a strong protest. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned the US ambassador to demand discipline and preventive measures. The US Embassy in Tokyo offered condolences and said it was cooperating with the investigation. The Marine Corps said it was working with Japanese authorities. Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Futenma. Most of the 18,000 US Marines in Japan are based in Okinawa, where the military presence has long stirred local resentment.