Posted on: Saturday, December 7, 2002

Police Beat

Advertiser Staff

Hiker found safe in Manoa Valley

A 50-year-old man who was reported missing after going on a hike Wednesday was found safe yesterday.

Evin Kip Hutchinson told his family that he was going hiking and was last seen getting on a city bus at 5 a.m. Wednesday in Kane'ohe. But when he failed to return that evening, his family notified police.

Because he did not say where he was going to hike, police and fire officials were not sure where to begin their search. But Hutchinson was found yesterday at about 1 p.m. at Manoa Falls.

Hutchinson told police that he got lost on the Nu'uanu Judd Trail and spent the night in the Manoa Valley area. He was able to walk out of the valley yesterday and was reported safe and uninjured.

Hutchinson told police that he was tired and hungry, but grateful to be home.

Police arrest man, seize marijuana

HILO, Hawai'i — Police seized 240 marijuana plants and arrested a 32-year-old Puna man Wednesday.

The plants, averaging about 3 feet in height, were growing in a greenhouse at the suspect's residence on Old Kalapana Road, said acting Lt. Marshall Kanehailua. Vice officers said they found nearly 3 pounds of dried marijuana inside the home and a .22-caliber rifle.

The man was arrested for investigation of first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana but was later released. Kanehailua said the case will be turned over to federal prosecutors for possible federal prosecution.

Two gunmen rob Waimalu store

Two men robbed a Waimalu video store at gunpoint Thursday night, stealing cash from the business and a customer's car.

It was the ninth armed robbery or attempted robbery on O'ahu since Sunday.

The two men walked into the store at 11:55 p.m. with their faces covered and carrying firearms, police said. The robbers took car keys from a store patron and money from the store employee.

The robbers left in the customer's car, which was later found a mile away. No one was injured in the incident, police said.

Liliha accident victim identified

An 86-year-old man fatally struck by a Jeep in Liliha on Thursday has been identified by the city medical examiner's office as Noboru Kotomori of Judd Street.

Kotomori was crossing Liliha Street near Hanana Place at 7:10 a.m. yesterday, when he was struck by a 1995 green Jeep Cherokee, police said. He was taken to The Queen's Medical Center, where he died.