A 20-year-old U.S. Marine stationed at Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, has been indicted on charges of robbery and murder in connection with the death of a woman last month, authorities announced Sunday.

Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard is accused of strangling 39-year-old Naha City resident Anna Yagi on October 3 in a hotel room in Naha City. Prosecutors allege Ballard used a telephone receiver cord to commit the act and subsequently stole a backpack containing her wallet and other personal items.

The indictment follows Ballard's arrest in early October. Authorities cited security footage that allegedly shows a foreign individual resembling Ballard entering the hotel with the victim and later leaving with her belongings. Police noted similarities in hairstyle and tattoos between the individual in the footage and Ballard.

This incident has triggered significant backlash on Okinawa and mainland Japan, leading to protests and a formal protest lodged by the Japanese government with the United States. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed profound regret over the "extremely brutal and heinous incident."

Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force. A spokesperson for the force stated that further personal or administrative details would not be released to protect the integrity of the investigation and adhere to privacy regulations.

In the wake of the alleged crime, lawmakers in Okinawa adopted a resolution on October 9 calling for revisions to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the U.S. and Japan. The pact is often criticized for granting preferential treatment to U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan.

Some of the victim's belongings were reportedly found abandoned near the hotel by local police, according to NHK. The prosecution has not yet disclosed whether the stolen items have been recovered or if further charges are anticipated.

The case has reignited long-standing tensions regarding the U.S. military presence in Japan, particularly on the densely populated island of Okinawa, which hosts the majority of U.S. military facilities in the country.