Prosecutors, not police, decide formal charges under the Japanese justice system. (Vecteezy)

Japanese police are holding Marine in custody in Iwakuni city on allegations he stole a car, drove drunk and crashed it before intruding into a man’s home last month.

The Marine, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, has been in city police custody since the incident Feb. 11, but was re-arrested Tuesday following further investigation, a spokesman with the Iwakuni Police Station said by phone Wednesday. Re-arresting a suspect allows Japanese police to reset a 20-day limit on custody.

Police forwarded their cases against the Marine to local prosecutors on Feb. 12 and again Wednesday, according to the spokesman. Stars and Stripes is choosing not to identify the Marine until charges are filed.

The Marine was first taken into custody at 12:26 a.m. Feb. 11 on suspicion that he had intruded into the apartment of a 63-year-old man, a spokesman with Yamaguchi Prefectural Police said by phone Wednesday.

Further investigation found that minutes earlier the Marine stole a car left running in a convenience store parking lot, drove it an unspecified distance and crashed into a utility pole, the Iwakuni police spokesman said.

The owner, a 20-year-old woman, told police a “drunken foreigner” took her car, the spokesman said.

“We are aware of the incident and are fully cooperating with local authorities, who hold primary jurisdiction of this case, in their investigation,” MCAS Iwakuni spokesman Maj. Gerard Farao told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday. “We take all allegations of misconduct seriously.” 

He declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

After the crash the Marine walked about 60 feet to an apartment building and entered an apartment through the front door, according to Iwakuni police. He set off a fire extinguisher but did no further damage, according to the Iwakuni spokesman.

The resident was not home at the time. Police were responding to the crash when a “family member” ran from the apartment and reported the Marine had intruded, the spokesman said.

Police arrested the Marine at the apartment door.

The Marine’s blood-alcohol content was above Japan’s legal limit of 0.03%, the spokesman said, but he declined to provide an exact number. The legal limit in all 50 U.S. states is 0.08%.

Some Japanese officials speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.

Stars and Stripes reporter Jonathan Snyder contributed to this report.