Alleged taxi murder clouds Yokosuka open house

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Olatunbosun Ugbogu, center, is led away by U.S. military personnel at Yokosuka police station April 3. Japanese police arrested the 22-year-old sailor in the murder of Japanese taxi driver Masaaki Takahashi, who was found stabbed in the shoulder with a steak knife. Ugbogu is also accused of not paying a $190 taxi fare.


Alleged taxi murder clouds Yokosuka open house
Kyodo News Service
Posted : Monday Apr 7, 2008 6:31:16 EDT

YOKOSUKA, Japan — The U.S. Navy opened its base in Yokosuka to the public Sunday for an annual friendship festival, but the event appeared less enjoyable than usual as entertainment events were mostly canceled following the murder of a taxi driver in the city last month allegedly by a U.S. sailor.

Under warm spring sunshine, about 26,000 visitors enjoyed watching the Japanese “sakura” cherry blossoms while having meals and asking for photographs with service members on the premises of the headquarters of the U.S. Navy in Japan in the city in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

U.S. Naval Forces Japan initially planned to put on various stage performances and allow people to visit the Kitty Hawk, the last conventional-powered aircraft carrier which is to leave Yokosuka next month and be decommissioned.

But most such plans were canceled as Olatunbosun Ugbogu, 22, of the Yokosuka base was detained by the U.S. military as a deserter and then handed over to Japanese police Thursday on suspicion of killing taxi driver Masaaki Takahashi in his cab in Yokosuka last month.

The U.S. military also chose not to sell alcoholic beverages and souvenirs to visitors at the U.S.-Japan Spring Festival, which first took place in 1994.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/kyo_navy_taximurder_040608/