Police Beat
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Driver dies in plunge off cliff
A man died yesterday after he lost control of his van on Halekoa Drive and drove through part of a house and over a cliff.
Firefighters said the man, whose identification showed a Honolulu address, appeared to be in his mid-50s.
He was coming downhill on Halekoa about 1:30 p.m. when his Chevrolet van jumped a curve and drove into 1835 Halekoa Drive, through the garage, a small masonry and tile wall, and a guard rail, said Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada.
The van went airborne and flew over some trees, striking one on the way down. It landed in a neighbor's lawn 30 to 40 feet below street level.
The man was ejected and pinned under the van, Tejada said.
Emergency Medical Service technicians declared the driver dead at the scene. Firefighters searched for passengers or injured pedestrians and found none.
Police traffic detectives worked until late yesterday to determine the cause of the accident.
Car thieves break into owner's home
Police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were searching yesterday for two men involved in a Waikiki car theft followed by a Moanalua burglary.
Two men are sought in a car theft from a valet parking. A mother was hurt in a scuffle at a car owner's home.
Thieves took a 1994 gold-color Saturn from the valet garage at 2301 Kuhio Ave. on Feb. 22 before 3:45 p.m. It was parked with keys in the ignition.
The car was driven to the registered owner's home in Doris Miller Park, Navy housing. One man used the house key to enter the home and yelled out the owner's name at the front door. The owner's mother, in the living room, confronted the burglar and chased him out.
The mother recognized her son's car with a second man in the passenger seat. She got into a scuffle with him trying to pull the keys from the ignition. She let go when he threatened her with a diving-type knife. She suffered injuries to her abdomen, leg and face.
The robbers drove off in the car.
Anyone with information is asked to call Special Agent Rocco Pierri at 474-1218 ext. 231, or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Hearing set in plane bomb scare
A detention hearing was set for Wednesday in federal court for an O'ahu man accused of lying about a bomb aboard a China Airlines plane at Honolulu International Airport.
Clayton Yip of Salt Lake was accused in a China Air scare Feb. 8.
Clayton Yip, 29, of Salt Lake was charged Friday with false information and threats, officials said. Honolulu police turned him over to the FBI after his arrest Thursday night near Ala Moana Center.
Yip called 911 Feb. 8 and named three men who had a bomb aboard China Airlines Flight 017, the FBI said. The plane's departure was delayed while three men with similar names were taken off the aircraft.
Their carry-on baggage was searched with the plane, but no bomb was found, officials said.
