Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

Inmate, 30, dies in OCCC hanging

A 30-year-old inmate died last night after he was found hanging by the neck in a cell block at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center.

The man was not breathing and was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at the prison about 8 p.m., said Mandy Shirati, district chief of Emergency Medical Services.

Paramedics inserted a tube to assist the man in breathing and a prison guard helped them perform chest compressions while he was taken by ambulance to The Queen's Medical Center, Shirati said.

The man was declared dead later at Queen's. No other information was available.

Marine, girl injured in crash

A 20-year-old Marine from the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kane'ohe and a 13-year-old 'Ewa Beach girl were injured late Friday evening after a one-car wreck on H-2 Freeway.

Both were taken to The Queen's Medical Center. The Marine remained in critical condition at the hospital last night. The girl was treated for abrasions and hip pain and released yesterday.

Police said the accident occurred shortly before midnight while the man was driving a black 1994 Honda Accord too fast on H-2.

Just north of the Wai'anae offramp the man, who was driving south in the middle lane, lost control of the car and veered southwest into a dirt embankment. The car climbed the embankment, struck a highway sign, went back down to the shoulder, caught fire and burned.

Police do not yet know if alcohol was a factor in the accident.

Both people were wearing seat belts.

Drowning reported at Makapu'u

A 50-year-old man died yesterday, apparently after drowning at Makapu'u, officials said.

Emergency rescue workers were called at 2:53 p.m. to pick up a drowning victim. They took the man to Castle Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m.

An autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause of death.

Neighbor helps save man from fire

A brave neighbor helped save a man from an apartment fire yesterday in Waikiki.

HFD Capt. Kenison Tejada said the fire alarm for the second-floor unit at 254 Ka'iulani Ave. came in at 11:51 a.m. Firefighters were on the scene by 11:55 and found apartment 204 at the Darlani Apartments fully engulfed in flames. Eighteen firefighters brought the fire under control by 12:01 p.m.

Tejada said that the occupant, a man in his 60s, was on the balcony when the fire broke out, and a neighbor who was passing by in the street saw him. The man climbed up to the second-floor unit, and helped the occupant cross to an adjoining unit's balcony and then to safety.

The occupant had cuts on his feet and was treated at the scene, Tejada said.

Damage was estimated at $110,000. The cause was under investigation.

The Red Cross was helping the man secure shelter last night.