Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Man charged in Hilo bank robbery
HILO, Hawai'i — Police have charged a 25-year-old man in connection with a bank robbery in which the robber was chased down and captured by a bank employee, a bank customer and a passing motorist.
Police charged Barry Brenton Powers, 25, who has no known permanent address, with robbery. He is being held in the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Police said a man wearing a kerchief over the lower part of his face entered the Waiakea branch of the Bank of Hawaii on East Kawili Street Tuesday, pretended to have a handgun in his jacket and demanded money. After receiving some cash, the robber ran away.
A woman who worked at the bank, a man who was a customer and a passing motorist gave chase on Kanoelehua Avenue and caught the suspect. A nearby off-duty police officer then handcuffed him.
Hilo detectives are also asking the public for information on a robbery of the same bank on June 24, and the attempted robbery of the Home Street Bank in Hilo on June 17.
Call Detective Greg Esteban of the Hilo CIS at (808) 961-2384 or the police non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Or call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
Attempted murder charges in incident
HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island police yesterday charged a 39-year-old Hilo man with four counts of attempted murder after he allegedly shot at four people Tuesday.
Hilo Criminal Investigation Section detectives also charged Damian Alfred Fontes, of Mauna Iho Place, with burglary, and firearm counts.
Fontes, who was arrested Tuesday, is being held without bail in the Hilo police cellblock. South Hilo patrol officers said Fontes threatened to shoot three men and a woman at a home near his home.
Police said Fontes fired at the group with a handgun outside, then chased them inside the house and continued firing. No one was injured. Police recovered a .32-caliber revolver when they arrested Fontes.
Felon charged with having stolen gun
Authorities have charged a 42-year-old man with being a felon in possession of a stolen gun. Kenneth Puni of Green Street was arrested Monday on suspicion of assaulting his 34-year-old sister and threatening to shoot her at their Makiki residence. Police said a gun in his possession was stolen. Bail was set at $50,000.
Kaua'i man faces federal charges
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A Kalaheo man was arrested Wednesday in Waimea on federal narcotics and firearms charges, stemming from a police arrest last year.
Raymond Reyes, 50, was arrested by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officers and taken to Honolulu to appear in federal court.
Police arrested Reyes Oct. 16 at Kikiaola Small Board Harbor while responding to a report that a man was selling drugs from his car. Police said Reyes was found with methamphetamine and a firearm. Federal authorities reviewed the case and indicted him on federal charges.
Five arrested after assault, robbery
Police have arrested three men — two of whom have San Francisco addresses — a woman and a juvenile on suspicion that they assaulted and robbed a man of cash and jewelry near the intersection of Ke'eaumoku and Makaloa streets. The suspects were arrested at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, about 25 minutes after the robbery was reported, at Makaloa and Pi'ikoi streets.
Second-degree robbery charges are pending against the men, ages 29, 27 and 24, and a 19-year-old woman.
Gunman wanted in 2 bank heists
Police believe the gunman who robbed American Savings Bank at 95-221 Kipapa Drive in Mililani this week held up the same branch on June 26 wearing a Halloween mask. In both robberies, the suspect used a silver-colored pistol.
In June, 12 people were in the bank when the man entered with the gun drawn. Yesterday, 15 people were in the bank when he went to the front of the line, pushed a customer aside and demanded hundred dollar bills from a teller, police said.
This week's robbery was reported at 10:55 a.m. Wednesday. The man's face was covered by a black T-shirt with eye holes cut out and camouflage hat, shirt and pants. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, which included a dye pack that exploded. Police recovered the camouflage clothing nearby.
Call robbery Detective Brian Johnson at 692-4602 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on cellular phone.
Missing Waipahu woman found
Last night Honolulu police found an 89-year-old Waipahu woman who was reported missing Wednesday.
Rose Gordon was found at about 9:30 p.m. near the Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse at the Waikele Shopping Center. Police said a security guard noticed Gordon because she had been near the store for a couple of hours.
Gordon was last seen at her Poailani Circle home near Waipahu High School at 2 p.m. Wednesday. She suffers from Alzheimer's Disease and had wandered off in the past, police said.
Yesterday, police officers searched on foot while the police helicopter scoured the Waipi'o peninsula area.
In the afternoon, the Navy joined the search for Gordon because a portion of the peninsula is on military property, said spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell. The Navy deployed an SH-60B helicopter from the Marine Corps base at Kane'ohe, as well as members of the Seal Delivery Vehicle Team 1 from Pearl Harbor, she said.
