Camp Foster Marine indicted for stealing taxi

[unhappycamper]

Camp Foster Marine indicted for stealing taxi
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, October 30, 2008

NAHA, Okinawa — A 22-year-old Marine assigned to Camp Foster was indicted on Monday for driving away in a taxi earlier this month in Chatan.

Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Eckersen was charged with stealing the car, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to report traffic accidents that he caused during the ensuing car chase, according to a spokesman for Naha District Public Prosecutor’s Office. Charges against another Marine were dropped Friday because of insufficient evidence.

Eckersen drove away in the taxi at about 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 5 in Chatan’s American Village shopping district, with his Marine friend in the back seat, according to police reports.

While the cab driver called police, fellow cabbies chased the car in their taxis, according to the report.

The pursuit came to an end 30 minutes later when the stolen car became inoperable because it had struck five cars waiting at a red light, police said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58478