Yard ornaments stolen from 8 prominent homes
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
Bronze ornaments and a menagerie of bronze yard statues — cranes, turtles, elephants — have disappeared from the yards of eight of the most high-profile families in the Diamond Head/Kahala area during the last month.
The victims include "some of the very prominent names of that area," said Lt. Sherman Chan, who is in charge of the burglary/theft detail for District 7.
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Anyone with information is asked to call the burglary/theft detail at 529-3035.
Paul Cassiday, a former Campbell Estate Trustee, had a dozen bronze Buddhas, Buddha heads and temple objects from Asia stolen from his yard on Diamond Head Road, probably early Friday morning.
"They took anything that seemed to look like bronze," Cassiday said. He estimated the value of his loss at $5,000 to $10,000.
But Chan put the total haul from all eight homes at under $10,000.
Detectives believe the same group of thieves operates in the early morning hours and sometimes scales sea walls at beachfront estates. But the thieves always stay outside of the homes, avoiding expensive home security systems — and burglary charges.
"This is basically a rash of property crime," Chan said. The most serious charge would be second-degree felony theft.
Detectives are checking antique shops, bronze recyclers and dealers who specialize in ornaments, Chan said, but so far have no leads or witnesses.
Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.
