O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
LEEWARD
More arrests in fatal beating
Police have arrested two more people in connection with the fatal beating of 36-year-old William Van Winkle earlier this month at Wai'anae District Park.
Police expect to make four more arrests in the killing.
Calvin Dole, 18 and a 15-year-old boy, both from Wai'anae, were arrested Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder. Last night, Dole was charged with second-degree murder. His bail was set at $75,000. Prosecutors were seeking to petition Family Court to charge the boy as an adult.
On Sunday, police charged Branden Adkins, 18, of Wai'anae, with second-degree murder. His bail was set at $100,000. Adkins has no record of criminal convictions.
A jogger found Van Winkle dead on the Wai'anae District Park basketball courts July 14 wearing only a T-shirt. He had been stripped of his black shorts, which were found in a nearby trash can.
Witnesses told police a group of about seven people beat Van Winkle to death after he nearly ran into one of them on his bicycle, said homicide Lt. Bill Kato.
Kato said the group may have been drunk at the time.
Two injured in 'Ewa car crash
Police said they believed the teenage driver of a pickup truck was speeding and not wearing a seatbelt when he crashed in 'Ewa, seriously injuring himself and his 16-year-old passenger yesterday morning.
The crash happened at 3:10 a.m. on Renton Road near Pohakulepo Street. Police closed Renton Road in both directions for about four hours.
The 16-year-old 'Ewa boy was in critical condition and the 17-year-old driver was in guarded condition at Queen's Medical Center yesterday, police and hospital officials said. Both teenagers suffered cuts on their heads and needed to be pulled from the wreckage by fire rescue crews, police said.
Their white 1999 GMC pickup truck was heading toward Honolulu when it ran off Renton Road, crashed into a light pole, crossed onto the median and hit a tree, according to police.
Tests slated for Wai'anae
Wai'anae Coast motorists, fishermen and surfers are advised that oil-spill equipment tests will be conducted in the ocean across from the Kahe power plant between 8 am. and 4 p.m. today.
Floating booms will be deployed in the ocean in front of the plant's cooling water intake pipe. Fishermen and surfers are asked to avoid the area.
HONOLULU
Punahou Vista briefing put off
A community briefing on the Punahou Vista housing project scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed.
Sen. Carol Fukunaga, D-12th (Makiki, Ala Moana, Tantalus), and Rep. Brian Schatz, D-24th (Makiki, Tantalus), legislators for the area, had called for the briefing in response to July's Makiki Neighborhood Board meeting, where many concerns and questions were raised by residents. Fukunaga said more time was needed to identify the problems and explore solutions before meeting with residents.
The Hawai'i Housing Development Corp. plans to develop the YWCA property on the corner of Punahou Street and Wilder Avenue. The proposed Punahou Vista affordable-housing building would be eight stories tall and occupy half of the YWCA property, while the Fernhurst Women's Residence would remain on the rest of the property. Opposition from area residents has focused on parking, traffic and density, as well as the loss of protected trees.
Fourth bank hit by robber
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Honolulu Police Department are looking for a man who has robbed four banks in two weeks.
The most recent robbery was yesterday at the Dillingham Plaza branch of Hawaii National Bank, located at 1505 Dillingham Boulevard.
The FBI said the robber approached a teller with a note demanding money at about 3:40 p.m. yesterday.
He took an undisclosed amount of money, stuffed it into a white plastic shopping bag and left the bank.
He was last seen on foot headed away from Dillingham Boulevard.
Officials believe the same robber hit the Wahiawa branch of American Savings Bank on July 19, the Kane'ohe branch of American Savings Bank on July 28, and the Pearl City branch of American Savings Bank on July 30.
Witnesses described the robber as a Caucasian male in his 30s, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, 120 pounds, blonde hair, brown eyes and clean shaven. He was further described as wearing a black baseball cap, emerald green T-shirt with a "Northshore" logo, shorts and slippers.
Call the FBI at 566-4300 or Crimestoppers at 955-8300.
Correction: The proposed Punahou Vista affordable-housing building at Punahou Street and Wilder Avenue would be eight stories tall and occupy half of the YWCA property, while the Fernhurst Women's Residence would remain on the rest of the property. An previous version of this article gave other information.
