An American staff sergeant affiliated with U.S. Forces Korea was arrested Saturday on suspicion of beating a cab driver and stealing his taxi, police said.

The 34-year-old soldier, whose identity was withheld, allegedly struck an unidentified Korean taxi driver in the face at 1:45 a.m., when he asked the soldier to use another taxi after a minor collision with a motor scooter, according to the Yangju Police Station in Uijeongbu, just north of Seoul.

The staff sergeant, who was heavily drunk, then took away the taxi and drove it for about 2 kilometers before being caught by police, according to investigators.

"At the time of the detention, he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.122 percent, a level which leads to the cancellation of his driver's license," an officer said. "He could face charges of beating, drunken driving and robbery." (Yonhap)