Members of the family of an American naval officer now in a Japanese jail after a automotive crash are doing all they will consider in hopes of getting President Joe Biden concerned in lobbying for Lt. Ridge Alkonis’s launch.
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Dana Level resident Suzi Alkonis stood outdoors the U.S. Capitol with Rep. Mike Levin (D- San Juan Capistrano) and her son’s spouse, Brittany, and the couple’s youngsters. For six weeks, the ladies and youngsters have posted themselves outdoors the White Home gates. On Friday, Derek Alkonis will do the identical on the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles asking for his son’s launch.
Alkonis has been in a Japanese detention middle since July 25 after a Tokyo Excessive Courtroom decide denied his enchantment in search of to droop a three-year jail sentence he obtained for negligent driving following a automotive crash that led to the loss of life of an 85-year-old Japanese lady and her 54-year-old son-in-law. The aged lady’s daughter was additionally injured.
Alkonis says he handed out driving due to acute mountain illness after a household journey to go to Mount Fuji, however Japanese prosecutors say the Might 29, 2021 crash was attributable to Alkonis falling asleep on the wheel.
Alkonis, 34, was sentenced in October; the decide saying he had not traveled excessive sufficient up the mountain to be impacted by altitude illness, based on Japanese information reviews. The household thought he could be given a suspended sentence, and all, together with his youngsters, Lilliana, 8; Kalani, 7; Ridge Jr., 4, had packed their baggage to depart Japan.
After being launched on bail pending his enchantment, Alkonis, on the recommendation of his Japanese lawyer, carried out an act of Gomenasai, which is the customized of constructing overtures of courtesy and apology and offered the household of the victims $1.65 million in extrajudicial restitution, his household mentioned. Half of the cash was raised from insurance coverage and the opposite half scraped along with assist from associates and supporters. Sometimes, households will settle for the letters and items and provide forgiveness, the Alkonis household was informed, however the victims’ household has not.
In July, Alkonis’ enchantment was denied and he started his jail sentence.
The household had been informed the investigation into the crash was not being handled as a felony act, mentioned Suzi Alkonis. “He was embroiled within the Japanese authorized system, however didn’t commit a felony act. They thought he’d undergo the system and get a suspended sentence. That’s the way it typically works.”
“We adopted the counsel of the lawyer, individuals who understood the justice system, and it nonetheless ended him in jail,” Derek Alkonis, a retired Los Angles County assistant hearth chief, added. “We don’t know what, however one thing went terribly flawed.”
Alkonis’s household mentioned amongst their issues is that they really feel Japanese investigators misled their son into signing Japanese-language paperwork throughout his pretrial confinement that they mentioned inaccurately described Alkonis, a Claremont native, as having felt sleepy earlier than driving that day. Alkonis was additionally denied entry to an lawyer throughout his preliminary 4 weeks of detention after the accident, Derek Alkonis mentioned.
The Japanese embassy in Washington D.C didn't reply to telephone calls or emails in search of remark.
In the meantime Navy officers, as a result of he's nonetheless on energetic obligation, mentioned when reached for remark that they proceed to offer assist to the Alkonis household’s efforts.
“This was a tragic occasion that resulted within the lack of two valuable lives, and precipitated super ache for everybody concerned,” mentioned Cmdr. Katie Cerezo, a spokeswoman with Naval Forces Japan. “At each stage, we've offered the Alkonis household with all assist in step with U.S. regulation and laws.”
His household worries if Alkonis stays in jail past his go away time, he's prone to dropping his pay and advantages. They mentioned he has been spending his time shredding tons of of items of paper every day to make confetti – a jail job to earn some extra cash for his household.
“We all know our son is a really honorable, devoted servant to his nation, household and society,” Derek Alkonis mentioned. “His document exhibits that. He would do nothing to harm someone deliberately, however he’s being handled like a felony.”
As Alkonis readied for his fourth deployment with the Navy’s seventh Fleet, the household determined to do a hike on Mount Fuji. They began at sea stage, drove to Fujinomiya at 7,800 ft and hiked to about 8,000-foot elevation, Suzi Alkonis mentioned.
After a bit greater than an hour, they had been carried out and drove for 40 minutes to a favourite ice cream spot. They had been at about 528 ft of elevation when the crash occurred, she mentioned.
“He had simply requested his daughter a query when she answered him solely to see he was slumped over,” Derek Alkonis mentioned his daughter-in-law informed him. “She screamed and kicked his seat.”
The Japanese police investigation mentioned the automotive was driving 28 mph when it started drifting to the facet, Derek Alkonis mentioned, and earlier than Brittany Alkonis might intervene, they struck a parked automotive, which hit one other parked automotive and “then pinched the male sufferer as he tried to get into his automotive.”
Brittany Alkonis mentioned she bought out to find out what occurred and shook her husband, who appeared nonetheless unconscious. As he slowly got here round, witnesses on the scene described him as pale and talking poor Japanese — he's considerably fluent, his father mentioned. “He tried to get to the individuals and assist free them.”
A Navy physician who examined Alkonis after he was launched from jail – he spent 27 days in the course of the investigation following the crash – mentioned his signs are proof of acute mountain illness, his mother and father mentioned.
When the ambulance arrived, first responders informed Brittany Alkonis that the Japanese lady and man had been “talking and lucid,” and the ambulance attendant mentioned, “every thing could be wonderful,” Derek Alkonis mentioned.
Three hours later, Alkonis and his household realized the aged lady had died from an obvious collapsed lung. Eleven days later, her son-in-law died from cerebral edema attributable to a fats embolism on account of a pelvic fracture. A 3rd particular person, the daughter of the aged lady, was injured, and Brittany Alkonis had an ankle damage.
“The actual fact individuals had been harm was traumatic to him,” Derek Alkonis mentioned about his son. “When he realized that they had died, it was a crushing blow.”
Because the accident, Alkonis has repeatedly expressed sorrow over the tragedy, his mother and father mentioned.
“It’s such a tricky scenario,” Derek Alkonis mentioned. “Each households are struggling and the justice system stands between us.”
Suzi and Brittany Alkonis have stayed in Washington D.C., contacting elected leaders each day, they mentioned. They arrange dwelling college in entrance of the White Home for the 2 ladies, hoping to attract the eye of the Biden administration.
They’ve labored with Levin and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to get different members of Congress to jot down letters on Alkonis’s behalf to the Japanese prime minister, the Japanese ambassador and to the American ambassador to Japan.
“We've 1 / 4 of the Senate who has now formally written letters in assist of Ridge,” Suzi Alkonis mentioned. “The U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel spoke with Ridge and is looking for an answer. It appears the Japanese authorities is open, however frankly, the telephone name that might do probably the most good, is a name from Joe Biden.”
Ned Value, a spokesman for the Division of State, mentioned efforts are being made by Emanuel to work with the Japanese authorities and the Division of Protection “for locating a profitable decision that's in step with U.S. regulation, with Japanese regulation, in addition to with current treaties.”
The Alkonis household is holding out hope and mentioned the Wednesday protest in D.C. had lots of assist.
“He’s a person who has devoted his life to serving our nation and defending an ally over the course of three excursions of obligation in Japan,” Levin mentioned Wednesday, including that his workplace has been working with the Navy, the Workplace of the Secretary of Protection and Ambassador Emanuel. “No person deserves the therapy Lt. Alkonis has endured in Japan, particularly not a person of his character and historical past of service to our nation.”