A U.S. Marine was arrested Nov. 15, 2024, a day after fire damaged a room at Prostyle Ryokan Naha Kenchomae hotel in Naha city, Okinawa. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Police on Okinawa arrested a Marine last week on suspicion of setting a hotel room on fire in an attempt gone wrong to create a romantic evening.

A sergeant assigned to Camp Schwab was taken into custody at the Naha police station at 1:41 p.m. Friday after he “completely burned” the room the previous day, a spokesman for Okinawa Prefectural Police said by phone Tuesday.

The Marine lit about 20 candles in the room, then left to pick up his girlfriend at Naha Airport, according to police. The room caught fire between 10 and 10:30 p.m., the spokesman said.

The Marine told police he “lit the candles to prepare a surprise for his partner” and apologized for “putting the people of the hotel and surrounding area at risk,” the spokesman said.

The Marine Corps is “aware that a U.S. Marine Sergeant assigned to Camp Schwab is charged with setting a fire in a hotel room,” Maj. Clayton Groover, spokesman for the 3rd Marine Division, wrote in an email Tuesday. He declined to identify the Marine.

“We are cooperating with the investigation and will refrain from releasing more details about this incident in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation process,” he wrote.

The fire occurred at the Prostyle Ryokan Naha Kenchomae hotel in Naha’s Kume district, a hotel employee who declined to provide his name confirmed by phone Tuesday.

No injuries were reported, and no further damage occurred to the hotel, the police spokesman said.

The Marine was arrested after providing explanations and completing paperwork at the hotel, the spokesman said.

The case was forwarded to the Naha Public Prosecutors Office on Monday, the spokesman said. Prosecutors, not police, decide charges under Japan’s justice system.

Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.