Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Visitor dies after waterfall accident
WAIKAMOI, Maui — A California visitor died Monday from head injuries suffered when he fell while looking at a waterfall off Hana Highway.
The 47-year-old man was with his wife and two children when the accident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. near Waikamoi Bridge, between Kailua and Ke'anae.
Fire department officials said the man slipped, hit his head and fell into a mountain pool. His name has not been released.
Help sought in finding ATM thieves
Police are asking for the public's help in finding the two thieves who rammed a stolen truck into the Blockbuster video store in Wai'anae early Monday in an attempt to steal an automated teller machine.
A surveillance video of the incident was released yesterday by police. The tape showed an altered flatbed truck repeatedly ramming the Blockbuster store at 86-120 Farrington Highway at about 3:30 a.m.
The truck knocked the ATM on its side, but the thieves were unable to remove any money from the machine. An alarm at the store went off and mall security officers found the front of the building damaged.
Police officers saw the white truck leaving the scene, but the two male occupants jumped out of the vehicle and escaped.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Bert Angut at 692-4414, or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Mililani driver in critical condition
A 33-year-old man was in critical condition yesterday after a one-car crash Monday night in Mililani, police said. The crash happened at about 9:30 p.m. as the car was traveling east on Meheula Parkway near 'Ainamakua Drive. The driver lost control and crashed into a traffic signal pole.
The driver was taken by helicopter to the Queen's Medical Center.
Waikiki bank hit by robber
The Waikiki branch of First Hawaiian Bank was robbed yesterday afternoon.
The FBI said a man handed a teller a note at about 3:30 p.m. and demanded money. The robber said he had a gun, but none was seen.
The teller gave an undisclosed amount of cash to the robber, who put it in a shopping bag and fled on foot.
The robber was described as in his late 20s to early 30s, 6 feet, 200 pounds, with curly brown hair. He was wearing a brown baseball cap, blue long-sleeve
T-shirt, dark khaki shorts and sunglasses.
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 566-4300 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Brushfire burns three acres
Wai'anae firefighters battled another deliberately set brushfire yesterday afternoon.
The fire started just off the roadway near the 'Ohikilolo Ranch in Makua at about 12:30 p.m., said Capt. Kenison Tejada, a spokesman for the fire department. He said the area has no water supply, so four tankers were needed to fight the blaze.
Tejada said firefighters did a good job of bringing the fire under control, considering brisk wind that fanned the flames and the dryness and overgrowth of brush. No property was threatened by the fire, which scorched about three acres, he said.
Yesterday's fire was the latest in a series of deliberately set blazes in the Wai'anae area. Tips can be called in to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300, or to police.
Body identified as missing swimmer
WAIEHU, Maui —ÊA man whose body was recovered Sunday from the ocean off Waiehu Beach Park was identified as Paul Shiro, 22, of Waiehu. Shiro had gone swimming the night before and was reported missing when he didn't return. Firefighters found his body at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. An autopsy indicated that he drowned.
Man accused after girlfriend stabbed
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Police yesterday arrested a 21-year-old man accused of stabbing his 14-year-old girlfriend Sunday, puncturing one of her kidneys.
The victim was in fair condition at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, said police Lt. Bill Ching.
Ching said the suspect was arrested yesterday afternoon in the lobby of a hotel in Wailua. He is expected to be charged with attempted murder.
