Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Man escapes from state hospital
Police were searching for a suspected car thief who escaped from the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe early yesterday.
Leonard Moore, 35, was committed to the hospital March 20 to determine if he is fit for trial in connection with a car theft.
At about 3:45 a.m. yesterday, Moore threw a wooden table through a glass window and fled from the hospital, police said.
Moore is described as black, 6 foot 3, 185 pounds, with a medium build. He has a shaved head, a 6-inch scar on his left forearm and was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans.
Moore also goes by several aliases, including Anthony Moore, Anthony Downs, Anthony Mitchell, Anthony Cook, Anthonio, London Anthony Wright, Leonard Michael Mitchell and Calvin Michaels.
Call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Work furlough escapee captured
A 34-year-old man who escaped from a work furlough program March 18 was captured by police early yesterday.
Arnold "Bully" Willets was arrested at 12:02 a.m. in the Punchbowl area. Willets had escaped from the Laumaka Work Furlough Center in Kalihi.
Police received a call late Tuesday night of a suspicious car near Miller Street and Iolani Avenue. Officers arriving at the scene determined that the car was reported stolen Monday afternoon.
When Willets saw the officers, he got out of the car and attempted to flee. But officers caught him after a brief chase.
Willets was convicted of kidnapping, auto theft and firearm violations. He had violated his parole and was scheduled for a hearing in May.
FBI charges three with federal bank fraud
The FBI yesterday arrested three Hawai'i residents on federal charges of bank fraud.
Patrick Hokoana, 32, Michael Christian, 26, and Lilia Chong, 30, were arrested by special agents of the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Hokoana and Christian were arrested in Honolulu, and Chong was arrested at her home on Maui.
The three are accused of attempting to defraud the Wailuku branch of American Savings Bank of more than $91,000. They were expected to make their initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon.
Three inmates indicted in escape, kidnap
Three inmates involved in an escape from O'ahu Community Correctional Center last Wednesday have been indicted by the O'ahu grand jury.
According to the city prosecutor's office, Kerbert Silva, 37, was charged with kidnapping, escape and unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle.
Eric Vance, 31, was charged with kidnapping and escape, authorities said, while inmate Paul Damas, 43, who is accused of unlocking the holding cells through a control box, was indicted on a charge of attempted escape.
Body of man, 75, unearthed in Maili
Police unearthed the body of an elderly man believed to have been buried in the back yard of his Leeward O'ahu home by his daughter.
The woman told neighbors and relatives that her 75-year-old father was in a nursing home, but she recently admitted to burying him at their Maili home in May 1999, police said.
Police said the woman has been collecting her father's social security checks since his death.
Alma Cruz, who moved into the Mailiili Road home a year ago, said police recovered the body Tuesday. It was wrapped in canvas and tied with a rope, she said.
Police are investigating if foul play was involved.
Boy, 17, charged as adult in rampage
A 17-year-old boy accused of participating in a November crime rampage is being charged as an adult after a Family Court judge waived jurisdiction over him.
John Vito Talo was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of two counts of first-degree robbery. Before his arrest, he was being held at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility.
In January, 17-year-old Dusti Liupaono also had his jurisdiction waived by a Family Court judge and arrested. His attorney, Keith Shigetomi, said Liupaono, a special-education teen, is childlike and has the best chance of rehabilitation through the Family Court system.
Two other men, Lelauti M. Sakaria, 19, and Jason A. Deere, 20, are scheduled to stand trial the week of April 16 on charges of first-degree robbery. Sakaria also is charged with kidnapping.
The four are accused in a Nov. 19 crime rampage in which four armed robbers hit three locations in less than four hours, attacking fast-food customers and car-jacking a motorist before ditching the stolen car.
Ten hospitalized after van crash
Ten people were hospitalized Tuesday night after a van they were riding in crashed into light pole in Hawai'i Kai, a fire official said.
The crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. on Lunalilo Home Road near Wailua Street, when a van traveling mauka ran into the light pole, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Doug Bechert. The crash was near Kaiser High School and the Hawai'i Kai fire station.
Bechert said four people were taken to Queen's Medical Center and six to Castle Hospital. Paramedics reported the 10 had no serious injuries.
Third arrest made in carnival stabbing
Police arrested a third person Tuesday in connection with a Punahou Carnival fight Feb. 2 in which two Roosevelt High School students were hurt.
An 18-year-old man was arrested at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder. He was at OCCC for another offense.
In February two boys, 15 and 17, had been arrested on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder. Both were released pending further investigation.
Two 15-year-old boys were hurt during the fight.
Woman reports attack in Wahiawa
Police are investigating a report by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a man who stopped her for directions Tuesday afternoon afternoon in Wahiawa.
Police said the 20-year-old woman left a Wahiawa store with her 2-year-old child at 4 p.m. and placed the baby in her car's backseat. A man parked behind her and asked for directions, the woman said.
When she got into her car, the man began fondling her until she screamed and called for help, she told police. The man fled and she drove to the Wahiawa police station to report the incident.
