Pepper spray was used in a home burglary and store robbery last night in East Honolulu and, in both cases, the getaway car was a light-colored Honda sedan.

Police believe the incidents are related. There may have been a third burglary case involving the same suspects early today but details were not available at mid-morning.

The first incident at a convenience store on the 2400 block of Date Street was reported at 9:30 p.m. A woman, 47, told police that a young man trying to steal a bottle of liquor pointed a knife at her when she confronted him. Another employee, who had shut the front door, was hit with pepper spray.

The thief fled in a Honda sedan driven by another man.

A short time later, a 30-year-old 'Aina Haina woman was sprayed with pepper spray by a man she found hiding in her closet. The man fled with her purse in a Honda sedan.

Thieves run off with Waialua safe

Thieves stole a safe after breaking into a business office on the 200 block of Goodale Avenue in Waialua sometime between 10 p.m. yesterday and 1:20 a.m. today. Patrol officers discovered the front door of the office opened and the interior ransacked. There have been no arrests.

Man charged in assault on son

Police today charged Orden Manuel Ohry, 40, with two counts of second-degree assault for striking his 15-year-old son in the head with a chair.

The blow broke the plastic chair and cut the boy's ear, police said. Ohry is being held in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Crew disposes of large firecracker

Honolulu Police Department bomb technicians disposed of a large firecracker discovered yesterday in a package outside the U.S. Post Office in Ka'a'awa. Officials at scene yesterday reported the object was 6-10 inches long and about three inches wide. The firecracker was not homemade, police said.

The post office was closed from 9:15 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. because of the threat.

Firefighters find missing woman

Big Island firefighters yesterday found a missing woman who suffers from Alzheimer's disease about a quarter-mile from her Kona Acres subdivision home. Annette McWilliams, 86, had been missing for nearly 18 hours. She was spotted by a search helicopter at 1:49 p.m. in a thick brush area near her home. The woman was not injured.

Injured hiker airlifted to safety

Fire helicopters airlifted a female hiker in her 20s to safety yesterday after she reportedly slipped and suffered a slight back injury along a trail above Wai'alae Iki.

The hiker's male friend called authorities by cellular phone about 12:30 p.m. and said the two were about two miles inward along the Wiliwili Nui Trail, according to Honolulu Fire Capt. Richard Soo.

Fire crews airlifted both hikers out of the area and the woman was taken to an area hospital, Soo said.