Police targeting car-theft offenders

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

In the face of a nearly 50 percent increase in O'ahu auto thefts, police and prosecutors are targeting repeat offenders and making it difficult for them to return to the streets after arrests.

Police have charged seven auto theft suspects in the past seven days, the most notable being 34-year-old Warren White Jr.

Capt. Alan Arita said White ranked No. 1 on HPD's Career Criminal Unit list of most-wanted auto theft suspects. White, also known as Warren Machado and Els-

worth Paikai, was charged yesterday with two counts of auto theft and is being held in lieu of $120,000 total bail.

Michelle Soliven Taong, 28, who was arrested Wednesday at a Lewers Street hotel in Waikiki with White, was also charged yesterday with auto theft. Her bail is $11,000.

There were 4,140 reported auto thefts from January to September 2001, and the number increased to 6,111 over the first nine months of this year, a 47.6 percent jump, according to Arita. In recent months, the Honolulu Police Department's Career Criminal Unit has been assigned to assist the auto-theft detail and the patrol, crime reduction and Alpha street units to aggressively deal with the problem.

In the past month, more repeat offenders are being charged rather than released pending grand jury action.

"We've been charging more people," HPD Maj. Darryl Perry of the Criminal Investigation Division said. "If you can keep then off the street, even for a little while, we expect to see the numbers (for auto thefts) go down."

White is "a major player," said Perry.

White has been active in auto thefts and vehicle break-ins the Salt Lake, Pearl City, Kalihi and Makiki areas, police said.

Police had been trying to arrest him since he fled from the scene of an Aliamanu auto-theft bust on Nov. 1.